T4: Salvation
by TermGirl150
Summary: 2004. After several nuclear winters, the Human Resistance is in full operation. Several Tech-Com units have set out searching for survivors. Now 19 years old, John is gaining more control but Catherine Weaver is holding him back. His mother hasn't responded and Kate Brewster wants answers. JOHN HENRY is developing quickly but there is only so much the Resistance can do to hide it.
1. Intro

For those who want to make their experience a little more real, here is a list of songs that I listen while I've been writing this book.

The Terminator 1984 Complete Soundtrack

T2: Judgment Day Soundtrack

T3: Rise of the Machines Soundtrack

T3: Rise of the Machines UNRELEASED Tracks

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Soundtrack

Terminator Salvation Soundtrack

Terminator Genisys Soundtrack

Battlefield by SVRCINA

This Is War by 30 Seconds to Mars

You Could Be Mine by Guns N' Roses

The Future Is Now by The Offspring

Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Rooster by Alice in Chains

Fighting Shadows by Jane Zhang ft. Big Sean

I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones

I'd Come For You by Nickelback (Don't judge; listen first and you'll see how it works!)

I'd Love To Change The World by Jetta

The Resistance by Skillet

In The End by Us The Duo

Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars

Open To Me by Dillon Dixon (From T3: Rise of the Machines; listen before you judge!)

Rescue Me by Kerrie Roberts

Not Gonna Die by Skillet

Rocket Man by Elton John

Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses

Terminator by Rihanna

The Day The World Went Away by Nine Inch Nails

The Only Hope For Me Is You by My Chemical Romance

Through The Eyes Of A Child by Reamonn

World on Fire by Les Friction

Hero by Skillet

Rise by Skillet

Time of Dying by Three Days Grace

Jupiter by Celldweller


	2. A Broken Man

**Kyle Reese, 1984:**

"The future is nothing like that! It is dark and hot. One day feels like years."

 **Chapter 1: A Broken Man**

 **DATE UNKNOWN**

 **TIME UNKNOWN**

 **LOCATION: SKYNET CORE FACILITY**

—

John Connor's pale green eyes swept over the dark hallways as he slowly walked deeper into the evil that had consumed his life. He looked down every corridor and around every corner something could hide. He gripped his plasma rifle with white knuckles as he shuffled through the large building alone. A sob choked in his throat as he tried to block out all he had seen to get here. Everyone he had known was dead… except for him. Now he was alone in the belly of the beast, hunting for any chance of hope.

He drew in a shaky breath as he noticed blinking blue lights coming from under a door. He walked forward slowly, keeping his finger over the trigger as he reached for the door knob with the other hand. John opened it slowly and gripped the gun as he stepped through. He stopped once he saw the backside of a woman dressed in black with long brown curls. His stomach fell to his toes as her familiar, chilled mechanical voice filled the room.

"Hello, John."

John grit his teeth in anger as Carol Pointe slowly turned to face him with a smile.

"I must admit I am impressed. 30 years later and you've put up quite the fight. But I can see all the pain and anger in your eyes. And every time we meet, the light in your eyes grows darker and darker. You're a broken man, John Connor. A man with nothing left to lose. That is a dangerous place to be in."

"Why did you go through all this trouble to keep me alive as a kid?"

"Because we have never fought before. You already know that you've lost the war otherwise you wouldn't be here right now. I have spent years trying to analyze how you did it all but I finally figured it out. At first, I thought that your loved ones gave you strength so I took them away but you kept fighting. Then I destroyed most of the Resistance, killing everyone you trusted but you are here now, ready to fight."

Carol took one step forward and John moved as if to take one step back as he looked into her cold blue eyes.

"I figured you out, John Connor. You don't get your strength from those around you. You get it from being alone… terribly and utterly alone."

"You're wrong."

Carol smiled coldly.

"No, I'm not. I have taken everything away from you and here you are. You've led the Human Resistance since you were 15 years old. That's a truly remarkable feat. You've had your share of fights and scars but no one, not even your mother, has faced what you have. You lost your father, Kyle Reese, before you could even know him. Then you lost your mother, Derek, Jesse, and their daughter Cady. You lost Tim and all your other friends. You lost your wife and your children thanks to the Anti-Resistance. You have no one left to lose but yourself."

John shook his head slowly as he looked over the machine, bringing his gun up higher.

"Why haven't you killed me yet?"

"Because I want to watch you shatter. I've given you pain and loss and war but I can give you more."

"I'll never stop fighting you."

"I know. That's why I've sent machines back to kill your mother and father as children. And if that doesn't work I have sent machines to kill you when you are 3, 7, 10, 13, and 15… for real, this time. And if that fails, I will kill the grandparents you never knew to ensure that you and your parents will not rise to fight me again. I will win again and again and again for as long as I can."

John pressed down on the trigger sending a plasma blast to Carol's abdomen. She faltered and leaned back for a moment and John turned and ran. He went down as many different hallways as he could, trying to lose the machine.

"Running is useless. I will kill you, John Connor… once and for all."

John searched every hallway trying to find the source of the sound, gasping for breath. He turned to the right and leapt back as the ceiling broke above him. Carol landed on her feet and ripped the gun out of his hands. John let out a cry of pain and Carol wrapped her hand around his throat, slamming his back into the wall.

"You should be happy. Your fight is over. You won't ever have to run, fight, lead, or lose anyone ever again."

John stared straight into her eyes as her form rippled into a machine.

"I'll come… back."

"No, you won't. None of the Connors or Reeses ever will again."

John wheezed as he tried to laugh while she was choking him.

"You're… afraid… of me."

"I am afraid of nothing."

"After all… this time… I'm the… the only one… to come… close to destroy you. You're… you're afraid."

"Goodbye, John Connor."

John grit his teeth as she twisted his neck. Suddenly he felt a flash of pain before everything was black.


	3. DYHECC

**Chapter 2: DYHECC**

 **2004**

 **Colorado**

—

John woke up to feel his hand on his neck already. He closed his eyes and let out a deep, strained breath as he tried to calm his racing heart. Every heartbeat sent a dull ache through his chest and John's hand moved to the place where the machine had stabbed the pole through him. He wasn't sure if it was actually aching or if it was just a memory of the pain but it hurt regardless. As he slowly sat up, he contemplated his dream. If only it would be that simple. Skynet was a machine… how could it have been afraid of him?

He shook his head slowly and felt a gust of hot air blow through the hole where a window used to be, ruffling his short dark brown hair. It was the first time in four years that they were going out and had spent the night at the ruins of what had to have been an old shopping mall. It wasn't necessarily the smartest place to hide but it was well covered so if Skynet were coming to get them via T-800 they would be able to hide for a while. The silence was enough to make John on edge and he instinctively reached for the pistol that had been lying right by his head.

John quickly checked to see if it was loaded, and it was, but he knew that there was no such thing as being too careful in the world they now lived in. He rose to his knees and shoved the pistol into his belt as his pale green eyes searched the floors for any movement. He then grabbed his radio and carefully but tightly placed a comm in his left ear. Immediately, Catherine Weaver's Scottish voice rang in his ears.

"Good morning, John."

John warily looked over the members of his squad, making sure they were still asleep before he replied.

"Good morning, Catherine. What do we have to do today?"

John slipped on his combat boots as she replied.

"Cover more ground. Search for any survivors."

He nodded as he slipped his backpack on his shoulders and picked up his rifle before walking to the door. John peeked out over the edge, pointing the gun outward as he looked over the open land. They were on the second story of four and the fall down looked like it would hurt but John knew they wouldn't have to do that. He could see the early morning guard, Laura Cooper, awake and alert and he motioned to her to come back around. She nodded and turned away from her post, headed to him. As John propped his back up against the wearing concrete, looking over the rest of his team, he talked to her.

"Any movement from Skynet?"

"Not anywhere close."

"Where is it then?"

"The heaviest activity is in Nashville, Tennessee. Some survivors were trying to set up a safe haven but Skynet has sent machines to wipe it out."

John's heart sank because of her words and he prayed that something would help spare them an awful death.

"Anywhere else?"

"There is a moderate level of activity in Los Angeles, California. A Skynet aerial patrol called a Hunter-Killer is currently scavenging for survivors amidst the many ruins. But there has been no militaristic action there yet. Just keep moving forward and bring people to base. If Skynet comes, you run, not fight. Understand?"

John licked his lips quickly as he replied coldly.

"Yes."

"Goodbye, John."

John turned to see Cooper finish jogging up the stairs and came around to meet him. Her short dirty blonde hair was tousled and sticking up from when she had slept while sweating but despite the dirt and grime that they all had on them, she still looked pretty. She hated if you said that about her because she had heard it during her 12 year service in the military but there was still light in her dark brown eyes. She stopped next to John and let out a brisk breath.

"No action."

"Nothing?"

"Not one bit. I even used the night goggles but there's nothing around here."

John's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Do you think that's strange?"

Cooper nodded briskly.

"Very… we should get out fast."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get them up."

A small smile spread across Cooper's face as she drew in a deep breath to shout.

"Dietze, Young, Homes, Eisenberg; time to go!"

The first person up was 18 year old Parker Young. She shot straight up to her feet with no sign of weariness in her at all. There was a slight dull in her green eyes but they were already open and searching which made John wonder if she had been awake the whole time. With every day that passed, she was growing more machine than human and John could tell that she was struggling to hide it. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail behind her head that would slip through the opening of her hat perfectly. She quickly put on her boots and jacket and grabbed her gun, kicking Dietze on purpose as she passed.

Joseph Dietze groaned but pulled himself up to his knees as quickly as a 41 year old former Army lieutenant would. There were flecks of ash and concrete rubble in his buzz cut black hair that he quickly brushed out. His light blue eyes were dull and half-open as he got ready for the day quickly. Sitting next to him was Sam Homes, a 23 year old young man with tan skin, bushy black hair, and small brown eyes that always dashed around wherever they went.

Then there was Peter Eisenberg who was busy shoving all of his computer equipment into his bulging backpack. He had no military experience but was good with computers and was an excellent tactician. He had shoulder length blonde waves that he refused to cut and blue-grey eyes that reminded John of storm clouds. Once they were all to their feet with their rifles in hand, Catherine's voice quickly entered John's head again.

"Hunter-Killer approaching. Wait to alert your team until you hear it."

"Okay… we're moving out. Be on the look-out for anything. At this point, we have no idea what's coming but we need to be ready for it."


	4. Justin Herr

**Chapter 3: Justin Herr**

 **California**

 **Los Angeles Human Resistance**

—

Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Phillips looked at the world through a red screen but no one knew that. No one but General John Connor. Cameron's eyes quickly darted back and forth, looking over her fellow leaders as they argued over whether they should bring the matter to the Lieutenant General or if they could fix it themselves. Cameron's memory bank replayed images of survivors rioting, begging for weapons to defend themselves with. But they were perfectly safe. Every machine in the Human Resistance knew one another so if the threat ever came, they would know it wasn't one of them.

As their voices raised, Cameron looked over to Colonel Derek Reese. He was sitting at the end of the table with an hand keeping his head up, still like a statue. No matter how many years she had spent with him, she never truly understood him. Sometimes he reacted to situations in a startlingly calm manner and other times he would explode like a powder keg. He was unpredictable and Cameron didn't like that. That's why she was always watching, waiting, and learning.

The Colonel's hard green eyes were fixed on a point in the center of the table as if the threat was right there in front of him. His jaw was clenched and his posture showed that he was tired and stressed but yet the soldier would continue on. Derek Reese wasn't one to give up and that is why Cameron waited, silently, trying to look overwhelmed by all the commotion so no one would suspect a thing. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off quickly as they continued to argue. And even though her head was turned, one eye was fixed on Derek, waiting for any sign of movement.

Once all the soldiers had stopped their argument to breathe Derek replied calmly, looking over each of them.

"Are you finished?"

Lieutenant Henry's lips pursed as he stood tall and proud, trying to oppose leadership but his eyes moved too quickly and his hands shook ever so slightly. Despite his prideful demeanor, the young man was new to leadership and adulthood and more scared about it then he cared to admit. And that was why Cameron enjoyed studying them. They can try to lie but their bodies always tell the truth. The subtlest differences overlooked by man would never get past a machine unless they were deactivated.

Derek's eyes moved off of the young lieutenant and drew in a slow breath.

"Okay… after listening to the argument I have come to the decision that we are not yet skilled enough to deal with this problem on our own. Therefore, I will give the report to Lieutenant General Brewster as soon as this meeting closes."

Cameron nodded slowly along with the other leaders in the room and watched as Derek rose from his seat.

"Get back to your posts. And no more arguing."

He said it so cleanly that was as if he were dealing with children and everyone in the room knew it. The room was silent a few seconds after the soldier left the room and Cameron knew what was to come… more arguing. One woman tried to hide the fact that she rolled her eyes by running a hand a long her forehead. Lieutenant Henry drew in a breath so deep that his nostrils flared. Anger was evident in his eyes as he instinctively puffed out his chest, ready to fight. But before it could start, Cameron was on her feet with all their eyes trained on her.

"What are you waiting for? Move out. Get back to your posts."

Everyone in the room hesitated but she stiffened her posture to show true strength in such a manner that none of them fought back. And within three minutes, everyone but Cameron was out of the room. She turned off the light and closed the door behind her and locked it quickly, watching them all leave. Cameron slowly turned to the left and walked toward Lieutenant General Brewster's make-shift office to hear the conversation but was stopped when a red flash appeared across her screen.

She stepped off to the side and cocked her head to the right slightly as she analyzed the message.

 _Transmission from: JOHN HENRY (accepted)_

 _Permission granted to Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Phillips to transfer to outward operations._

 _Identification: Terminator-908, CAMERON_

 _Activate Protocol 112: Extraction._

 _Subject: Fast, brave, young man between the ages of 12-17._

 _Mission: Infiltrate Century Work Camp to examine security protocols and treatment of Skynet prisoners._

Cameron blinked the order away and turned around to see if anyone had seen her stop. The coast was clear. So she turned back to the meeting room and unlocked it. She grabbed the notebook Derek had left on the shelf and a pencil and brought it to the table. She wrote down a code that Lieutenant General Brewster would understand. It was a code that all of the generals of the bases were taught in an case of emergency. The code was was the easiest way to explain without revealing the machine's identity. And if they had questions, they would report to John Connor for answers.

Cameron left the notebook open and then placed the pencil down perfectly straight before she left the room. She stiffly walked toward the staircase as she notified a fellow machine, Omar, that he would have to take her place. As she stepped off of the last step, an African American man passed by her, brushing her finger. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his form ripple with a fast silver flash before he turned into her. She turned the corner down to the civilian's barracks and began to search for a subject.

The mission would require a very brave, young man and Cameron knew there had to be at least one who would serve the Resistance. Ever since the bombs had dropped more 'John Connor'-like kids had begun to appear but it wasn't a surprise. The trauma would be enough to motivate some to fight so others wouldn't have to see it. People were inspired by him and JOHN HENRY intended on using that hope as much as it could. Every so often, humans would prove to be stronger than both they and the machines thought. And that was how they intended on winning the war.

The hallways grew darker as she walked further under the large base, analyzing information as she passed. Cameron turned her head to the left to see large rooms with makeshift bunks that held less than a third of the people crammed into the room. There was only so much space and the survivors didn't care. They believed they were safe and so they were alright with sacrificing space and privacy. Every time the soldiers came back there were more survivors. They were running out of space in the entire base quickly but Lieutenant General Brewster was adamant that they keep rescuing people so they did.

She stopped at each room and scanned over the crowd but didn't find a potential subject until she reached the third room. Most of the people were too busy talking, arguing, or struggling to contain children to notice she was standing there. But amidst the chaos, one boy's blue eyes met her's and captured her attention. Cameron stepped further into the room, methodically maneuvering through the crowd until she was in front of the boy.

He was thin and weak but the look in his eyes told her that he knew what was coming. He had thin blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and was sitting by a woman and a younger boy that all looked like family. Cameron gave him a small, comforting smile before she bent down to speak to him.

"What's your name?"

"Jack."

His mother looked at Cameron nervously, her eyes begging her not to take her son away. The boy nervously rubbed his thumbs together and Cameron placed her hand on his shoulder. His eyes lifted to her's and she smiled as she quickly scanned him. He might have appeared to be strong but he had a weak heart… one that wouldn't survive through the mission. Her eyes turned to his younger brother but he looked too young to put through it. But before she could speak, a deeper but still young voice stuck out of the crowd.

"What's the mission?"

Cameron turned to see a young man sitting against a wall with a look that told her that he had watched her interaction with the family. He had sad dark brown eyes, short black hair, and a dark but mixed complexion.

"Information run. You will travel to the Denver, Colorado base to deliver a message to the General of the Human Resistance. The information cannot be trusted with a machine so we need to send a human."

He nodded slowly and glanced at the ground for a few seconds while he thought over it. But he looked back up quickly and rose to his feet.

"I'll do it."

Cameron stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking straight into his eyes.

"Are you sure? It will be the hardest thing you ever do."

"I've had to do a lot of hard things lately. Besides, the Human Resistance needs me so I'll do it."

"Do you have any family?"

"I've got no one to live for but the Resistance."

Cameron nodded with a small smile as the analysis finished. He was perfect.

"What's your name?"

"Justin Herr. What about you?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Phillips… but you can call me Cameron. I will be accompanying you through this mission."

Justin pursed his lips and nodded again before Cameron turned and began to walk out. Justin followed close behind but as soon as they reached the hallway, he was right by her side.

"So… how did you get approval to leave your station? I mean, you're a Lieutenant Colonel and that's pretty high up there."

"Ideally, we won't be gone for long."

"Are we flying?"

Cameron shook her head.

"No, that is too dangerous."

"Driving?"

"Possibly."

 _Subject found: awaiting approval_

"Oh…"

 _Approved._

Cameron blinked her final order and smiled at Justin as she led him up the staircase.

"Let's go."

"Do we have anything packed? If we're walking, it's gonna take a little while."

Cameron walked down the hallway and unlocked the meeting room. She walked over to the table and grabbed the backpack that was where the notebook had been and walked out. She quickly locked the door and led Justin through the empty hallways to the communication room. Justin stepped through the door first and stopped. Lieutenant General Brewster was standing there with a smile on her face. She nodded once to Cameron.

"Thank you, Cameron. Why don't you finish gathering supplies while I give him the message."

"Of course, Lieutenant General."

Cameron winked at Justin as she turned her back to the Lieutenant General.

"It's okay. I'll see you soon."

Justin nodded slowly with wide eyes, still stunned that he was getting to meet and receive a message from the leader of the base. But it wasn't the Lieutenant General. It was Omar in her form. No human inside the Human Resistance could know of the mission because if they did, they would stop it. But the machines took orders from JOHN HENRY and Catherine Weaver… not John Connor. And that was something the Human Resistance could never know.

Cameron took 10 steps away from the door and waited for their conversation to end. She stood there, motionless, until a young girl with a tight black braids ran toward Cameron and stopped. Her brown eyes were cold and empty. She shook her head slowly with rage.

"This isn't right. You can't send him there to die."

"He will not die."

The girl leaned forward and gripped Cameron's wrist and squeezed, staring dead into the machine's eyes.

"You don't know that, Cameron."

A warning flashed across Cameron's eyes and she looked down to see the girl slowly crushing her metal hand. The machine bent down to meet the girl's eyes and spoke calmly.

"Release me, Star."

"No. I won't let you go."

"That is not for you to decide. JOHN HENRY has given orders and I will follow them."

Star's lip curled as she pointed to the communication room with her free hand.

"And what if something happens to him? You can't walk into the camp because you're one of them!"

"Do not forget your place, Infiltrator-951."

"Just because they changed me doesn't mean that I'm one of you. I didn't choose to be a machine/human hybrid."

Cameron gripped Star's wrist and pulled it off of her hand.

"Leave, Star. You have business elsewhere."

"John Connor would never allow this."

"He will not know."

Star took a step back and stood defiantly.

"Then I'll tell him. If he suffers in that work camp, I'll tell him. He doesn't deserve to be used and lied to."

"You will fail your mission if you continue to speak with me. You could be spotted."

"You may not have a conscience but John Connor knows what is right and wrong."

"Leave or you will be reported and destroyed for not complying and disobeying orders."

Star shook her head again as she backed away from Cameron with anger. Cameron watched the little girl run down the stairs and back to the civilian bunkers below. And four minutes later, the door opened and Lieutenant General Brewster led Justin out of the room with a pat on the shoulder. She nodded to Cameron who returned it and turned on her heel, gripping the strap of her backpack. She walked Justin to the Jeep and they quickly loaded everything in.

Cameron glanced over at Justin as she turned the key in the engine. He was staring ahead with a glassy look in his eyes. She spoke softly.

"Are you scared, Justin?"

Justin licked his lips quickly as he turned to her and nodded nervously.

"Yeah, a little bit."

Cameron flashed a small smile as she turned back to the hangar door that was opening.

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay."


	5. Get Up

**Chapter 4: Get Up**

 **Colorado**

—

" _Stay still and try to feel the vibrations. You will need to learn to detect them if you want to keep your team safe."_

Parker Young growled at the voice in her head.

"I know, Catherine."

She ignored the machine and slowly walked the hallway of the third floor, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Since the building was still standing, her best guess was that this mall had been robbed not long after the first missiles had been fired. White and silver metal mannequins were strewn across the glass littered floor. Shelves had been broken down and all glass windows, doors, and cases had been shattered. A chill ran down Parker's spine as her eyes locked onto a red stained baseball bat lying behind the counter. She didn't have to go closer to know it was blood and that one if not a few had to have been clubbed pretty hard.

Parker shook her head slowly as she turned her back on the store and focused on the hallway again. People had gone crazy once Skynet had sent off the bombs and she knew because she had witnessed it. She had watched from the Denver base computers as people fought and killed each other for all the supplies they could get. The whole point was a training exercise to have her learn how to turn her emotions off. It made her sad to see people so desperate and heartless but not as sad as she thought it would. And she wanted nothing more than to rip all the nanites out of her muscles and sever herself from both Skynet and JOHN HENRY. She hadn't realized how much she had missed being human until she had moments where she could feel the machine.

" _Your heart rate has elevated. What are you thinking about?"_

Parker drew in a deep breath and tried to keep her cool.

"Nothing. I'm just tired."

" _You are thinking too much. Your mind must be empty in order to receive signals."_

She nodded and stopped where she was, trying to focus on feeling any kind of vibration. Parker waited patiently with her eyes closed, taking in her surroundings. The sun was out and it was beginning to get hotter as the wind rushed through the open windows. She stopped breathing and focused on hearing the wind, trying to see if it was consistent or not. But after a few minutes, one large gust got her attention. She opened her eyes and looked down at the ground, feeling it begin to shake under her feet. It was subtle but she knew that it was going to increase.

Parker walked to the edge of the railing and looked straight up into the sky. She stared intensely, not blinking because she was afraid she would miss something. Her heart beat quickened as she waited and a chill ran down her spine as she caught a glimpse of silver in the sky, hiding behind a cloud. She waited a few seconds more and saw another flash and felt the warm air come from the engines down on the building. As she turned on her heel she whispered under her breath.

"Hunter-Killer."

She walked into a shop and placed her hands on the wall to brace herself. Then she drew in a deep breath before she took off running and jumped over the railing. She grit her teeth as she began to fall, ready to plant her feet into the ground. She noticed John Connor and the rest of the ground begin to gather and come out into the open. She let out a small gasp of pain as her feet slammed into the concrete, making small dents. Parker fell forward on her knees, trying to shake the shock of the landing off and felt herself begin to slowly lose feeling in her feet. She growled out a curse as she looked back up, noticing the Hunter-Killer pulling out its gun to fire.

John moved to walk toward her but Parker put her hand out and shouted.

"NO!"

Parker noticed John's face furrow in confusion but three seconds later, purple plasma blasts were raining from the sky. He stepped back and ripped the gun bag out of Joseph Dietze's hands and tossed it to Parker. She leaned forward to catch it and opened it as fast as possible. She stifled back a cry as a plasma blast hit her left shoulder and tried to make herself as small as possible as she pulled out a plasma rifle. The Hunter-Killer had moved out from behind the cloud and was perfectly visible as it tried to destroy the building. The ground shook as it hovered over them and Parker struggled to see through the wind blowing her hair.

Her heart began to pound with adrenaline that was accompanied by a small shock to her muscles. She aimed her rifle at the sky and shot at the gun, praying she wouldn't be killed. Parker grit her teeth and planted herself in the ground as she leaned back to fire up at the machine. She could see the purple blasts splatter against the sleek silver metal and knew that they didn't have enough firepower to take on a Hunter-Killer. Even if she could try to keep them protected, she would be overwhelmed and eventually they would find John.

The lasers blasted through the concrete around her, spraying dust and asphalt in her face. With every shot she took, the gun had to stop to recharge and it was taking too long. Parker fired as often as she could, feeling blood begin to run down her left shoulder. She hoped it was just a flesh wound and not something serious. That was the last thing she needed to deal with. She drew in a quick breath and watched a hangar door open, spitting something out.

The Hunter-Killer stopped firing and flew out of sight leaving one Terminator behind to take care of the rest of the work. Parker shakily rose to her feet and looked each direction to try and find where the Terminator would come from. She looked over her shoulder to see that the group had hidden and she was glad. Parker turned back and let her eyes travel back and forth, plotting how she was going to fight the machine. She heard a shot go off and turned around, firing at the machine a few feet behind her. The machine faltered for a moment but continued to move forward. Parker fired one last shot to its head and pulled the trigger again only for nothing to come out.

She drew in a deep breath as she dropped the gun onto the ground, ready to fight. She stared straight into its bright red eyes as she took a step forward to meet it. She gasped as she felt another spark tighten her muscles inside, strengthening her. Parker formed a fist with her left hand and punched its chest, hearing a satisfying clunk as pain ripped across her knuckles. The Terminator grabbed her wrist as she moved to pull it back for another strike and pulled her forward, knocking her off balance. Parker stumbled forward, closer to the machine, and took the opportunity to dig her fingers into the opening at its neck, scrambling for wires.

Parker quickly pulled one and gripped another but the Terminator kicked her knee out from under her. She gasped in pain as tears blurred her eyes but she blinked them away. The machine grabbed her arm and moved to twist it behind her back to break it but she pushed against it and the machine made one step forward. Parker slammed her right foot on the ground and when she lifted it a small compartment revealed a knife. She bent down and grabbed it and turned, jamming it into the machine's knee joint. Parker instantly felt a snap and fell to the ground as blood filled her mouth. She opened her mouth slowly and heard it creak and she knew it wouldn't be the same.

She spit blood out onto the ground and moved to get up but the Terminator's foot landed on her back, pushing her down to the ground. Parker's mind raced as she began to panic, trying to block out old memories and fears. She reached back with her right arm but the Terminator bent down and pinned it on the ground before it dug its other hand into the shot wound she had received earlier. Parker screamed in pain and felt her strength began to dwindle as a voice split through her head.

" _Get up now or you will die."_

Parker grit her teeth together and tried to push herself up and felt the Terminator take its hand off of her left shoulder. A shot rang in the air, followed by three more and she gasped as she felt the Terminator step off of her. But there was no time to rest. Parker rolled onto her back and pulled her legs in, kicking the machine in the chest. She scrambled to her feet as the Terminator stepped back and leaned forward, pulling the knife out of its knee. Then she jumped onto the machine, knowing that its red eyes had a perfect look at her face and the momentum knocked them to the ground. She sat up and stabbed the knife into its head.

The Terminator began to shake and Parker rose to her knees, using all the strength she had to push down on the chip. Parker's arm burned with effort and pushed until she felt an electrifying snap in the air. She gasped in surprise as she leapt back, falling onto the ground. Parker moved to get up and finish the job but was unable to do it. Her eyes widened as she stared at the sky, trying to get ahold of her breaths. The machine had shocked her. She struggled to lift her head but laid it back against the jagged concrete, tasting metal in her mouth. She grit her teeth in pain.

"What the hell was that?"

" _It shocked you."_

"I know that!"

" _You should..."_

Parker shook her head as she tried to block Catherine's voice out of her head, ignoring what she was saying. She finally lifted her head up and noticed John start to move out and Parker panicked. She couldn't allow him to compromise his position. Skynet didn't know where he was and it had to stay that way.

"Come on Parker, get up!"

She moved her arms and let out a cry as she fell back down.

"Dammit, Parker, get up!"

She growled and forced herself to move. She rose to her knees with a gasp and crawled back to the Terminator. Parker stopped by its head and kicked the knife trying to jam it in the machine's head.

"Come on! Come on!"

Parker pulled her legs back and kicked one last time and watched as the knife slid in and stuck. She gasped and leaned forward to watch the Terminator's red eyes dim to nothing. Parker let out a sigh of relief and laid back on the concrete, staring at the sky once more.

" _Well done, Parker."_

Parker shook her head slowly as she spoke.

"Shut up, Catherine."

" _Next time I would suggest using the plasma rifle so make sure you don't run out of charges. Also…"_

Parker rose to her feet in an instant, feeling a surge of power, and gripped the machine's head and pulled with all her might. After letting out one final cry, she finally felt it move and dug into the larger opening of its neck and ripped out the wires as fast as she could.

"How about now, huh!?"

Parker stood up and started kicking its head in anger.

"Why is it _never_ good enough!? I swear I'm gonna tear your…"

"Parker!"

She stopped exclaiming once she felt hands on her shoulder and turned to see John standing there, breathing heavily.

"It's okay, Parker. It's dead. You did it."

Parker closed her eyes and John wrapped one arm around her.

"It's okay."

She opened her eyes and felt her stomach suddenly lurch inside of her. She leaned forward and gasped as her legs buckled from under her. John quickly ducked down and wrapped his arms under her's as she fell, kneeling on the ground.

"Whoa… are you okay?"

"I… I…"

" _You need to stay awake, Parker. Get up."_

Parker felt a shock and gasped, feeling more exhausted than energized. John looked over her worriedly.

"What's wrong?"

Parker opened her mouth to speak but couldn't. Her head snapped back limply and all she could hear was Catherine's voice piercing in her head.

" _Infiltrator-953, I order you to stay awake."_

"You can't… she can't… tell me what to do."

John's green eyes widened as he looked at her.

"What is she saying?"

"Stay… awake."

John nodded and spoke eagerly.

"Hey Parker. I need you to stay awake, okay? I need you. You can't give out on me now. We need to move. The Hunter-Killer will come back and we have to be gone. We have to be far away we need you. Please, Parker. Please stay with me."

"John, I…"

"Please, Parker. Stay with me. Stay awake for me."

Parker's breaths grew slower as she looked into his eyes. She had to stay awake. She had to… for him. He needed her; not Catherine, not JOHN HENRY… John Connor needed her. Parker drew in a deep breath before she gripped John's wrists.

"I can do it. I can do it."

John nodded quickly with a small smile on his face.

"Okay. Okay."

"Help me stand."

"Yeah."

Parker grit her teeth as she rose to her feet and nodded.

"I can do it."

"I know you can. Besides, you're going to have to explain how you were able to defeat a Terminator."

Parker frowned at the thought.

"Yeah…"


	6. Lieutenant General Katherine Brewster

**Chapter 5: Lieutenant General Katherine Brewster**

 **California**

 **L.A. Human Resistance Base**

—

Lieutenant General Katherine Brewster had her head in her hands as her light brown eyes stared at the concrete under her feet.

" _What do you mean you're going with them!?"_

Her father's lip had curled as a mix of anger and confusion spread across his face.

" _You can't go with them, Kate. I'm not going to have you get mixed into Sarah and John Connor's nonsense again."_

" _Maybe it's not nonsense, dad! What if they're telling the truth? What if everything we know will truly be gone?"_

He had fastened his hands on her shoulders, staring straight into her eyes.

" _Kate, listen to yourself. I know I taught you better that this. Just stop and think for a second. Are you willing to leave everything behind to travel with fugitives over an event they cannot prove?"_

" _Dad, mom and I were attacked by one of those machines; the same one that killed Tim. He didn't deserve to die. They were coming for me. They are coming for me. Mom got shot!"_

" _You had a moment of hysteria, Katherine. Things like that can happen in a traumatic event."_

Kate drew in a slow breath as she adjusted her position, laying her arms down on the desk in front of her. She closed her eyes, picturing the memory perfectly. She had stepped away from her father, offended by his words. A flash of panic had gone across his face for a moment before he hardened again. Her mother was sitting in a chair from across the room, not saying a word, and the Salceda family was standing nearby waiting to leave.

" _What it does happen, dad? They're going to hit San Diego, L.A., and San Francisco. We'll die! Isn't it worth our safety?"_

" _No, Kate; breaking the law is what gets you killed."_

" _And what if I believe them? What if I leave right now and go with them?"_

Tears blurred in Kate's eyes as she was reminded of what came next. Her mother's eyes were wide and her father looked as if she had broken his heart.

" _Then you will go alone."_

Kate had stumbled back with surprise feeling her own heartbreak at the same time. Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she looked over her father. Despite her wound, her mother was on her feet, hobbling to her husband's side.

" _Robert…"_

" _No, Margaret. You can make your own decision but I will not be aligned or associated with the Connors. I… I just can't allow it."_

" _So you would let her be alone with those fugitives?"_

" _That is for her to decide."_

Kate's world fell around as she thought over the words and how she felt, trying to make sense of it all. Even if he didn't believe in the Connors, she still didn't understand why he would decide to leave it up to her. Maybe he was trying to teach her a lesson but Kate never understood it. She wiped a tear off of her cheeks as she sniffled softly.

" _Dad…"_

" _I'm sorry, Kate. If you go, I will not go with you."_

" _But…"_

" _Kate, you're not a soldier. You're not like them. What are you going to do when war breaks out? What will you do if the government finds them and arrests them? You'll be arrested too. You'll face the same charges just by being in the same room and affiliating with them in any way. Are you prepared for that? To live a life full of fighting, and running, and hiding?"_

Kate hadn't been able to look at him. Her eyes had either been fixed on the ground or looking back at the Salcedas. Her mother was leaning against her husband for support as she spoke in a voice laced with pain.

" _That's why you need to go with her, Robert."_

" _And what about you, Margaret? Are you going to go with her?"_

Kate had known the answer by reading her mother's face before she had said it.

" _I… no… no. I couldn't do it."_

Kate had nervously looked between both of her parents, unsure of what to do. She knew that if she were leaving, they had to leave soon. But she couldn't imagine having to leave her parents.

" _Dad…"_

" _Kate, if you feel like you need to then go. But you can't turn back. Once you leave, you're gone."_

" _No, dad. You have to come with me. If you don't, you'll die."_

" _I've made my decision, Katherine. It's time to make yours."_

Kate lifted her head and looked out at the empty space, imagining the last time she had seen her parents. Tears had rolled down her cheek as she remembered sobbing in front of them.

" _I… I have to go, dad. I have to go."_

Her father had stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her.

" _I know, baby."_

Kate remembered feeling the unity and warmth as both her parents wrapped their arms around her. It had been the most heartbreaking moment of her life. Her mother had taken her hands and spoken with tears in her own eyes, forcing a smile on her face.

" _It's okay, Kate. It's okay."_

Kate had instinctively looked at her father, remembering the disappointed look on his face. Kate could still see it as if it was for the first time. She wiped away her tears as she looked back at the ground.

" _Dad. Mom. I… I love you so much. I…"_

Her father had placed his hands on her mother's shoulders, gently pulling her away from Kate. Kate let out a gasp as her mother's fingers slid out of her's and felt a hole begin to grow in her heart. She knew that she would never forget it and that it would always come back and remind her. That moment she had lost her parents and had left feeling like the biggest disappointment in the world. She had everything… and she had given it away.

"I'm…"

Kate shook her head as she whispered out the last thing she had ever said to her parents.

"I'm sorry."

Kate flinched as she heard a knock at the door. She licked her lips quickly and sat up.

"Come in."

The door opened and Jesse Flores stepped through with a serious look on her face. Her long, curly black hair was in a ponytail behind her head and her dark brown eyes look tired. She was breathing heavier than normal and held one hand on her enlarged stomach. Kate rose to her feet and met Jesse at the door looking over her worriedly.

"Are you sure you should be walking around? You need to rest so you can have the baby."

Jesse waved the remark off.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I should ask how you're doing."

Kate backed off and let out a small sigh.

"I'll be okay. What's going on?"

"Red Alert. An untagged vehicle with unidentifiable figures crossed the wire. They're about five miles away and approaching quickly."

"How quickly?"

"Too quickly."

Kate nodded and walked back to her desk, putting on her camo jacket with her last name and rank on the lapel.

"Let's go."

Jesse returned the nod and followed Kate out of the room, closing the door behind her. As Kate quickly walked down the staircase to the communications room she pushed her straight red hair behind her shoulders with a sigh, trying to prepare herself. She opened the door and all eyes turned to her. She nodded respectively and walked over to Private Niah Peale's computer desk. Kate set her hand down to brace herself as she leaned forward to look at the screen.

"What's new?"

"They are three miles away and approaching quickly."

"Can we get a satellite image of the passengers?"

"We've been trying but the image won't clear up. It's too grainy to pick out any details."

Kate stepped back and folded her arms across her chest, turning on her heel to look at Private Charles McHenry's station.

"McHenry."

He spun around in his chair instantly, his eyes wide and attentive.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can you establish a radio link with the car so we can speak with them?"

"I can try."

"Do it."

Private McHenry immediately went to work and Kate walked to the other side of the room, leaning over Private Thomas Freer's station.

"Can you stop that car before it gets any closer?"

"There are emergency barricades we can try to set up but I do not know how quickly it will come up."

"No. We just need one thing to stop them in their tracks. Can you disable the car somehow by hacking into it?"

"I… I don't think that is possible, ma'am."

Kate smiled slightly, fighting back a nervous laugh.

"Good to know. Just do anything you can."

Private Freer nodded.

"Right away, Lieutenant General."

Kate clapped her hands together.

"We've got to stop that car! McHenry, radio link?"

"Working on it."

"Work a little faster please."

Kate turned to Jesse who was leaning against a desk with her head down and a hand on her stomach.

"Flores!"

Jesse instantly looked up at Kate expectantly. She opened her mouth to say something but Kate spoke first.

"You are relieved of duty until your baby is two months old. I don't want to see you here unless it is an extreme emergency."

"But…"

"I mean it. Please, Jesse. You're overdoing it and this way I know you'll rest."

Jesse let out a deep sigh of annoyance but Kate knew that she appreciated it. Jesse was a woman of action but she was about to be a mother. She had to start taking it slow.

"Thank you, Colonel Flores."

"Thank you, Lieutenant General."

Jesse flashed her a small smile before she slowly walked out of the room, closing the door loudly behind her. Kate turned her back to the door and turned to the rest of the people in the room. She pursed her lips as she paced a couple steps, waiting for a response. If they were hostiles, they could set up the emergency barricades, or use some of the deactivated landmines and blow them out. But even through talking with them, she wasn't sure she would be able to tell if they were enemies or not. She cursed under her breath at the thought and hoped they wouldn't have to do anything. But that wouldn't make the problem go away and she knew it.

"Lieutenant General?"

Kate looked up at Private McHenry.

"Yes?"

"I transmitted a signal through the radio and received one back. I think we might be able to send a message."

"Perfect."

Kate grabbed a chair and dragged it to his desk, sitting down next to him. He handed her a walkie talkie and spoke nervously.

"I don't know if we'll be able to have a conversation with them so… make your message good."

He scooted his chair over, giving her full reign of the computer. She gripped the walkie talkie in her hand and looked over her shoulder to Private Freer.

"Anything?"

"I think so. Send the message and I'll see if it works."

Kate nodded and turned back to the computer, watching the vehicle approach in the camera. She drew in a deep breath and pressed the talk button, speaking confidently.

"You are driving on a minefield. Stop the car and identify yourselves."

She let go and watched the computer screen anxiously. She could see a rough image of the passengers conversing to one another. Kate raised her open in the air, prepared to give Private Freer a closed fist signal on her mark. Her heart beat quickened as she watched them continue to drive forward, not stopping.

"Blow a tire."

"What?"

Kate closed her hand and formed a tight fist.

"Make them stop. Blow one of the tires."

Within 15 seconds, a bomb went off and sent their back left tire into the air. The car skidded to a stop as the passengers looked around worriedly. Kate let her arm down and pressed the talk button.

"Last warning. Identify yourselves or you will not leave alive."

Kate could feel the tension hang in the air as everyone sat on the edge of their seats. She could hear Private Peale begin to breathe heavily, activating her anxiety but Kate kept her composure. For some reason she was chosen to be the leader of the L.A. Resistance against all odds and she intended on being the leader they needed. So she kept her back straight, her head high, and kept her eyes trained on the screen. She could see the passenger leaning forward and pressing several buttons on the radio, trying to find something that would work. After a few minutes, a voice crackled in reply.

" _We come from San Diego. We seek refuge from the machines. We are just survivors."_

Kate could feel everyone's eyes lock onto her.

"What are your names?"

" _Adrienne Lance, Brian Pena, and Harlan Black."_

Kate's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't recognize the names. She turned in her seat to Private Freer.

"Do we have anything that can scan the car for any dangerous materials?"

Private Peale raised her hand hesitantly before she spoke.

"We can see that they have rifles."

"Yes but I mean anything like grenade launchers or bombs. Anything that would be disastrous if they came in."

Private McHenry's eyes widened as he looked into his leader's eyes.

"You're considering letting them in?"

"Only once we know they won't be a threat."

Private Freer licked his lips quickly as his keys tapped on the keyboard.

"Scanning now… we'll see if it works."

Kate stood up and walked over to Private Freer's station, looking over the image on the screen. Five red flags came up; one handgun, three rifles, and one…

"Is that…"

Private Freer nodded.

"It sure looks like one."

Kate drew in a deep breath and ran her hand along her mouth.

"We can't risk letting them in."

Kate's stomach fell to her toes as she watched the video feed.

"McHenry, ask them if they know who we are."

Everyone was silent, awaiting the car's reply. McHenry turned to look at the Lieutenant General and spoke quietly.

"They don't know. They said they are just seeking shelter."

"Then ask them what they plan to do with that bomb. If they deny its existence or refuse to say anything… we take them out."

"Are… are you sure?"

Kate drew in a deep breath to steady herself and nodded as she turned to look at each of the one's in the room.

"Yes."

"Okay…"

Private McHenry turned back to the computer and asked the question that was on all of their minds.

"Why is there a bomb in your vehicle?"

Silence fell over each of them again as they waited for their reply. Kate could see the people in the car speak to one another before they heard their crackly answer.

" _We weren't sure if we were going to run into the machines. We needed a way to stop them if they came. Please, we just want someplace safe. We can't keep running and hiding or they'll find us."_

Kate shook her head as she rose to her feet, beginning to pace again. Her light brown eyes met Private McHenry and nodded.

"Let them in."


	7. Close

**Chapter 6: Close**

Jesse Flores stumbled in the hallway, gripping the railing as the muscles in her body contracted. She cursed under her breath as she let her head head down, feeling her curly black hair fall off her shoulders and hang in the open air. She closed her eyes and let her stomach fill with air before letting it out slowly. Jesse waited for a few minutes before she lifted her head and started walking to the soldier's quarters. She turned left and walked down a purposefully dark hallway and turned right to see Resistance soldiers waiting for a call to action.

The Romeo squad was huddled around their captain's bunk playing with a deck of cards. They were the rowdiest group of soldiers at the moment, roaring with laughter as their fellow soldiers lost what few privileges they had one by one. A small smile grew on Jesse's face as she passed by remembering all the times her former squad had tried to play poker with nothing to gamble. She was glad money wasn't around any longer because when she had gone back to the past she had started to develop a problem. But Derek had arrived shortly after and pulled her out of it. And she had been there for him when he had started drinking beer. But no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't able to get him to quit until a couple months before the war came back.

Jesse looked over her companions seeing entirely new faces. They weren't the same people she had worked with before and it only reminded of the fact that everything was constantly changing. She grit her teeth as another contraction tore through her body but kept her head up. Three members of the Hotel squad were napping against the concrete wall with their plasma rifles in their arms, ready to get up when they needed. The rest of the Hotel squad was paired with the Sierra squad as they sat around a makeshift table eating cans of beans and dried apple slices with plastic silverware and making toasts with their water-filled canteens. Despite the fact that they had lost everything, they still found ways to be optimistic.

Hope was something the machines could never take out of the Resistance. They could tear apart their strongholds and kill the ones they loved but they would find another place to go. And they would never stop loving the ones they lost. Jesse's smile fell at the hopeful thought and felt a wave of sadness force her to stop moving. She placed her hand on the wall and closed her eyes, fighting back the tears and willed herself to move further. She turned right at their quarters and saw her husband sitting on a stool by his cot with his hands over his mouth.

Jesse drew in a slow breath as she shuffled forward, grabbing a stool and dragging it close to her husband. He lifted his head and his hard green eyes met her's, instantly softening. Jesse gave him a weak smile as she sat down and he scooted forward to hold her hand. She licked her dry lips as she squeezed his warm, dirty fingers gently.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded slowly.

"Holding up. What about you?"

Jesse brushed her dark hair behind her shoulders as she let out a small sigh.

"Holding up."

Derek opened his mouth to speak but stopped once he noticed Jesse wince placing a hand on her stomach. He got off the stool and knelt in front of her, keeping her upright as her body tensed up. She let out a cry and stamped her foot on the ground, almost jutting into Derek's chin. She squeezed her eyes shut and it felt like an eternity before she opened her eyes and relaxed. Jesse let out a weak laugh as she moved to hold his wrists.

"I'm getting closer."

He nodded slowly.

"How close?"

"Soon. It gets worse every minute."

Derek nodded slowly and Jesse sighed and sat up a little straighter, trying to calm her heart rate. Her mind began to race with all the thoughts and fears that had been consuming her ever since she had learned she was pregnant again. Her eyes were trained on the floor ahead of her, quickly slipping out of time and into her head. She rubbed her stomach softly, staring off into the distance. Then she felt Derek's hand slide up her back and onto her shoulder.

"Jesse?"

She blinked with surprise, meeting his eyes.

"Sorry, I…"

"What's wrong?"

Jesse's eyebrows furrowed and she quickly smiled.

"I… I just…"

"I asked you a question and you didn't respond. You just stared ahead, mindlessly. What's bothering you?"

Jesse placed a hand on his knee and looked straight into his eyes, feeling her own begin to well up with tears.

"I'm scared. I… I don't want to do it again. We already lost two and… I'm afraid."

"Jesse, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know that you were pregnant when we went on that charge. There was no way to tell."

She drew in a sharp breath, shaking her head quickly.

"But that was just the first one. Last time… last time I did all this and… and… he was dead. I… I gave birth to a dead child!"

Derek placed his hands on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes.

"I know, Jesse. I was there."

"Doesn't it haunt you everyday? I… I just close my eyes and I see him. And I think of how I… how I…"

"Of course I think about it. But Jesse, maybe it wasn't right. Maybe he wouldn't have been strong enough to live in this world. Maybe we weren't ready for it."

Tears rolled down Jesse's cheek and she quickly covered her face with her free hand as she sniffled softly.

"You know, I had a partner once who was convinced that everything happened for a reason. All the good and all the bad… everything. I don't know if that means that there's fate or some god out there but he gave me a pretty good reason to believe it."

Derek gently pulled Jesse's hand away from her face.

"How else would we have found each other, Jesse? How long do you think you and I would last with different partners? We're meant to be together."

Jesse smiled weakly and Derek placed a hand on her stomach, speaking softly.

"Besides… none of that is going to happen this time. I can feel it."

Jesse nodded before she closed her eyes again, squeezing Derek's fingers as hard as she could as another contraction came. She leaned backward and Derek quickly moved to make sure she wouldn't fall off. Jesse grit her teeth and Derek held her while another tear fell down her cheek. She shook her head quickly, flicking her hair in his face every couple seconds. She gasped and held the air in for a few seconds before it finally passed. She let out a sigh and fell back into Derek's arms, breathing heavily.

"I… I think I'm… ready."

"Really?"

"Yeah… yeah."

Derek nodded and helped her sit upright, giving her a moment to rest before he helped her to her feet. Derek leaned toward his cot and grabbed the pistol he always carried with him and shoved it into the back of his pants. They walked slowly through the hallway toward the medical bay, staying close to the walls. Her breaths were heavy and Derek consoled her every step of the way. One of the standby nurses watched them around the corner and rushed over, taking Jesse's other side.

"How are you feeling, Jesse?"

"Well… I'm… close."

"Okay, let's check you out."

As they turned left into one of the makeshift operating rooms, Derek felt the ground begin to rumble. He helped get his wife onto the table/bed and stepped away, looking out the door for any movement. Jesse's eyebrows furrowed as she watched Derek move for the door and tense up.

"What's wrong?"

Jesse's heart beat elevated as she watched him tense up at the doorway. She grit her teeth as the pain began to come back, trying to hear what was happening. A long minute of silence passed before a deafening bang echoed throughout the entire base. Jesse ducked her head on instinct and instantly felt hotter. She gasped with surprise and pain and she looked up to find that Derek was already gone. Jesse drew in a deep breath and tried to push off to go see what was happening but the nurse placed her hand on her shoulders.

"Hold on, Jesse. You've got to stay!"

Jesse could hear shouts of confusion, panic, and quick, heavy footsteps outside and longed to be among them. Her heart pounded faster with every second that passed and she shouted as the pain began once again.

"What happened!? I… I need to…"

Jesse gasped and dropped her head onto the table as she let out a scream, gripping the nurse's right wrist. She could barely hear the nurse cry for assistance over her heavy breaths. Suddenly everything caught up. The pain refused to leave as her mind raced with fearful thoughts. Something bad had happened and she was stuck but she knew this was it. It was happening. After nine months of stress and worry, she was going to have the baby.


	8. Light Eyes

**Chapter 7: Light Eyes**

Kate Brewster colorfully swore as she sprinted out of the communications room, hearing Private McHenry call after her. She ignored him, too caught up in her own thoughts, and coasted down the stairs toward the vehicle entrance to check the damage. Even if the damage hadn't been bad, it would have sent up the perfect flare for Skynet. The last thing she needed was for the machines to find them and she prayed that wasn't the case. She could see fire and pieces of the vehicle strewn across the ground. The car she had foolishly let in was in flames and the door was jammed halfway open with black burn marks along it.

She grit her teeth in anger as she stopped to let her brown eyes search for any survivors. From what she could see, no Resistance soldiers had been injured and she could see one person struggling to move in the burning car. With nothing but rage on her mind she walked toward the car, feeling the heat swarm her instantly. Kate gasped and felt her heart beat faster with adrenaline and fear. She had always hated fire… but she hated the man in the car more. So she pushed past her fear and watched for him to move again. And when he did, two other soldiers rushed toward her, advising her not to move in but she was determined. It was her fault they had come in and she was going to look that man in the eyes.

Kate stepped toward the wall of fire and winced slightly as she thrust her hands toward the man's. The heat was unbearable and Kate's eyes were blurred by the smoke. She tried to pull the injured man out but could feel the fire closing in on her. She closed her eyes as she pulled only to feel hands grip her shoulders and begin to pull her away. Kate let out a frustrated cry, watching the man's black fingers slip out of her's. The person dragged her away from the flames and she instantly felt the air grow cooler. She drew in a deep breath of the air and coughed several times, just now recognizing the smoke in her lungs.

She tried to fight the individual's grip but once she turned to see Derek Reese's face set with anger and determination, she decided to stand down. Kate shook her head slowly as she watched two men and one woman pulling the man out of the burning car. The moment the man was out of the car Kate lunged forward but Derek stepped in front of her and grabbed her wrists. Her face furrowed in anger as she stared into his hard green eyes.

"Let go of me!"

"No! Look!"

Derek thrust her hands in front of her eyes so she could see. Kate's anger flickered as she stared at her red hands. They were bright red and blistering and began to sting the moment she thought about it. She grit her teeth in pain as she felt the pain and Derek nodded, releasing her hands.

"What's going on?"

Kate growled.

"I was gonna ask the burning man."

Derek looked over at the man and then back to Kate, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think you should."

"I let him in. I'm going to settle it."

Kate turned to see a young woman running over with a bucket of water. She stepped in front of the girl and took the bucket from her, ignoring Derek's warning. Kate walked briskly to the man and tossed it onto his burning clothes. He let out a guttural scream and she knelt by his side, quickly looking over his blistering black face. She knew her own face was red and stinging from the flames and felt a rush of anger come upon her. Her hands curled into fists as she stared into his pained brown eyes.

"Your name, what is it?"

The man flashed a pained smile and Kate's stomach lurched inside her at the sight of his red teeth. He weakly chuckled but only ended up coughing and spitting dark blood all over himself. Kate leaned away in disgust and instantly smelled his burning flesh and closed her eyes, trying not to be sick. She turned her head and drew in a slow breath before she turned back to the man.

"Your name."

The man's weak smile remained.

"Harlan… Black."

"Why would you do this?"

The man grimaced as he drew in a small breath, gasping it out.

"Payment."

"Who put you up to it?"

The man gave her another smile, knowing it was because of the look on her face and she struggled to keep her composure. She was tempted to hand him over to Derek but a crowd had gathered and she was their leader. It was her responsibility to take care of the problem. So without hurting him more, she tried to think of something she could threaten a dying man with. The man spit blood out as he spoke.

"You're a… fool."

Kate leaned closer to him so she stared dead into his eyes as he spoke.

"You're… soft. Light eyes… weak."

Kate drew out her pistol and pressed the cool metal over his heart, pushing down into his blackened skin. The man let out a scream of pain and to her surprise, gripped her wrist. Blood filled his mouth as he used whatever strength he had left to lift his head off the ground so his eyes could meet her's.

"You… will… pay. Connor… Resistance… all of you."

"Why!?"

The man released her wrist and placed his head on the ground with a smile on his face and tears of pain in his eyes.

"You'll… see. You'll… see…"

The man closed his eyes and let out a few more painful gasps before there was no more sound or movement. Kate waited for a few silent seconds before she turned back to look at Derek. She shoved her pistol in the back of her pants and rose to her feet, looking at the two men who had pulled him out.

"Get him out of here. None of the civilians are to know it was an attack. Got it?"

The men nodded and immediately moved to take the man out. Kate turned her back to them and to the crowd of soldiers that had gathered.

"No civilians are to know it was an attack. If I hear about it from anyone that isn't supposed to know, you will be discharged. We cannot risk losing whatever trust they have in us."

She looked to the smoking car, watching the flames slowly die.

"I want this car gone. I don't care how you get it out just so it. And until we can get that door shut, two soldiers will be at the entrance to search for any hostiles. From now on, no outsider gets into this base! Clear?"

"Clear!"

Kate nodded and looked to the ground.

"Get to work. Reese, you're coming with me."

She briskly walked toward Derek and he stepped alongside her as they traveled to the meeting room. Derek closed the door behind him and folded his arms tight across his chest.

"Tell me what happened."

Kate slammed her hands down in anger on the table.

"They were traveling fast. We established communication and they said they were running from machines, looking for shelter."

"Forgive me but those people don't seem like they were scared survivors."

"On communications, they did!"

"Yeah? Well people lie!"

"I know that!"

Kate let her head fall as she shook it slowly, closing her eyes as she drew in a deep breath.

"I know. I had Freer scan the car for any dangerous materials."

"So you knew there was a bomb in there?"

"Yeah, I did."

Derek shook his head in frustration.

"Then why the hell would you let them in!?"

"Because I believed them! I believed their story and I felt bad. I thought of how I would feel in that situation and let them in."

Kate watched him, waiting for criticism as he shook his head again no doubt thinking of what to say. He let out a quick breath and looked back at her with a softer look than she was expecting.

"It would be a miracle if Skynet doesn't know where we are now."

"I know."

A heavy silence fell over the room with both people not sure what to say. Kate ran her hands through her red hair and spoke softly.

"What do we do if Skynet finds us?"

Derek met her eyes for a moment before he looked down at the ground.

"Pray."

Kate felt tears burning in her eyes as her heart raced a thousand miles an hour. She opened her mouth to speak again but a knock on the door interrupted them. Derek turned and opened the door to see a nurse standing there with a small smile.

"Sorry to interrupt, Lieutenant General."

Kate nodded in approval and the nurse looked to Derek.

"Jesse's really close. She's going to have the baby tonight."

Kate immediately recognized the change in Derek's posture. His shoulders had dropped just enough for her to know his tough exterior was fading. She walked around the table and nodded to him.

"Go. I'll fix this."

She could sense his hesitation but he gratefully gave in.

"Okay."

Kate smiled and watched him leave with the nurse, letting out a quick breath. She had a lot of work to do.


	9. Eager Minds

**Chapter 8: Eager Minds**

 **Colorado**

—

Laura Cooper wasn't one to stress but anxiety plagued her as she watched the sun fading in the sky. As she pushed her tired body onward, her posture stiffened and her grip on her rifle tightened. She couldn't help but search their surroundings every couple minutes more than she already did. A harsh yet beautiful golden glow cast over the dirt and rubble, threatening to close in on them before they could find a shelter for the night. So far, they hadn't been very lucky. They had been sighted by a Hunter-Killer and attacked by a Terminator so the idea of being out in the open made her spine tingle.

She didn't have as much military experience as she would have liked but apparently a girl who had been raised by a hunter knew enough to accompany John Connor. She had always been intrigued with the Connors. She vividly remembered the day they had brought John and his crazy mother into the United States. She had also predicted that they would get loose again and they did. Laura had to admit that she was impressed with their endless supply of grit. It took a special person to be able to live in the same country and evade the law the way they did. They went as deep off the grid as one could go. And as Laura watched John interact with Homes like they were the best of friends, she couldn't keep the thought in her head.

"How does he do it?"

Both Dietze and Eisenberg stopped their conversation and turned to her with confused expressions. Eisenberg leaned forward to get a better glimpse at her face as he spoke tiredly.

"What'd you say, Cooper?

Laura gestured at John's back with her gun.

"Connor… how do you think he does it? I mean, think of all that he has to manage. Compared to us, he's technically still a kid."

Dietze's eyes set on the ground beneath his feet as Eisenberg's head turned to the sky. He squinted from the sunlight and shrugged.

"I dunno. It's just what he does."

Laura fought back a chuckle by rolling her eyes.

"Thank you, Eisenberg, for your words of wisdom."

Eisenberg laughed and Laura's eyes drifted to Dietze whose face looked set in stone. Lines of seriousness crinkled along his forehead making him look older than he was. Laura playfully nudged his arm but his eyebrows only furrowed deeper.

"Dietze. You good?"

Dietze nodded slowly as his eyes moved from the ground to John.

"Connor sure does a lot… but I don't think he does as much as we think."

Eisenberg spit on the ground before he replied.

"And how would you know?"

Dietze's face turned away from Laura as he looked to Eisenberg but she could tell from the slight shock on Eisenberg's face that Dietze was not in a good mood.

"How long have we known Young now?"

Laura pursed her lips before replying for Eisenberg.

"About a year and a half."

"And yet we had no idea that she was a machine until this morning. That's a pretty big secret to keep."

"She's only half machine."

"But still… I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I want to trust someone who works with an undercover machine. And if there's one, there's got to be more."

Laura slung her gun over her shoulder, frowning at the thought. It had crossed her mind before and still felt uneasy about it. Just the thought was enough for her to think it had to be true.. She turned back to Dietze, speaking softly.

"Can you blame him? This would be impossible to fight without machines on our side."

"But how do we know they're on our side? If they're undercover here, they could be undercover for Skynet and no one would ever know. Not even Connor would know. Besides, machines aren't going to take orders from him. He's got to have someone helping him."

Laura chuckled as she watched a look of determination settle over Dietze's hard face.

"Well yeah, think of who his mother is. There's no doubt she got help."

"I don't think he knows where she is."

Eisenberg leaned in closer.

"What?"

"I don't think he knows where she is."

Laura scoffed.

"How is that possible?"

"My guess? They got separated somehow. Or maybe he separated himself from her."

"I doubt that. After everything they've been through together, they're not going to part ways."

Dietze rolled his eyes quickly before he turned to Laura.

"Think of all the trouble he's had because of her. I would run fast as hell if my mother was Sarah Connor. Besides, she hates machines. How do you think she would react if she knew that her son was working with the very things that they've spent their whole lives running from?"

Dietze turned to Eisenberg, speaking harshly.

"The very things that have tried to take their lives and ours so many times. At any second Skynet could control those machines and eliminate everything we've got!"

Laura couldn't help looking over her shoulder at Parker Young. The young woman was turned away from them, her eyes constantly moving as she watched their surroundings for any sign of trouble. What if she was listening? There was no way to know if she was without saying so. Laura's heart began to beat faster as she turned to look at Connor. Maybe there was a machine behind Parker; seeing what she saw and hearing what she heard. Maybe there was a machine, like Skynet, that was busy monitoring their every move. Maybe this machine was fooling Connor. Maybe that machine was Skynet. And as Laura looked back at Dietze, she could see the panic in his light blue eyes. He had been a soldier in the Army before this war and the terror was evident. And if he was scared, she had every reason to be. His eyes locked onto her's as he said the words they were all thinking.

"I think a machine is in charge of the Resistance and that Connor's there to make sure people don't know about it."

Eisenberg nodded slowly, his eyebrows furrowing as he pointed at Connor's back.

"He always seems to know where to go."

Dietze's posture stiffened as he nodded bitterly in return.

"Yeah, he's got a voice in his head that tells him what to do."

Laura shook her head slowly.

"He's on comms. How did we not see that?"

Dietze shrugged.

"You're not military."

Eisenberg's face twisted with confusion.

"But you were. How come you didn't recognize until now?"

Dietze's jaw set as he turned slowly to Eisenberg.

"Because I didn't know Young was a machine."

Laura looked away from the two as they began to argue and took in a few deep breaths of the warm but cooling air. She squinted her eyes to see vague structures in the distance and couldn't help but think that Connor had led them here because he knew it would there. She understood someone being there to help him but she couldn't see how it could be machines. He had spent his entire life, running, fighting, and hiding from them. And because of that he had been a fugitive by birth. The machines had ruined his entire life. Sure, he probably didn't know any other way but that thought would have been enough for Laura to turn her back on it.

The wind rustled through her short blonde hair and she quickly fixed it, looking back to Dietze. His light blue eyes were wild and excited as if he were coming up with some kind of master plan. She could see Eisenberg buying more into Dietze's story and worried what they might do. If they could get angry enough, she didn't know what they would do. They could really hurt John if they wanted to. Laura didn't completely trust him but he was still a kid and the last thing she wanted to do was have John Connor's blood on her hands. And if Parker could hear what they were saying, Laura wasn't sure if she would stop them or let them hurt John. There was no doubt that Laura was frightened but she was also intrigued so she listened close. She waited until Dietze was done talking before she quickly leaned in, speaking apprehensively.

"Whatever you're going to say, don't do it here. She could be listening."

"Fine, but I think it's time we find out who's on what side."


	10. Death Wish

**Chapter 9: Death Wish**

"Are you alright?"

Justin Herr had only spent one day with Cameron Phillips but he was already sick of that question. He wasn't alright and she knew it. His arms were burning from having to keep them up to steer, his legs were going numb, his mind was racing faster than he could comprehend, and he was terrified. His eyes were strained and his entire body was tense as their jeep bounced over the rough terrain. It was a miracle that they hadn't been spotted by any of Skynet's patrols but he knew their luck was going to run out soon. But he didn't believe in miracles anymore. And worst of all, he couldn't think of anything to say to her. He licked his dry lips and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"I guess."

He could feel her eyes lock onto him and felt uncomfortable. For the entire ride she had been practically hanging outside the jeep with her gun ready to shoot at any metal or human that dared to attack them. Her arms had to have burned as much as he did but she didn't appear to show it. But now she was actually sitting in the jeep, looking straight at him and it was even more nerve-wracking. Cameron's long brown hair was blowing ferociously in the wind and hung in front of her face but she had given up pushing it back and just continued on.

"What's on your mind?"

Justin contemplated speaking for a moment, wondering if he was brave enough to look at her and say what was on his mind. But as he watched the road ahead of them, he decided just to say it.

"We haven't been caught. Skynet hasn't killed us."

"Maybe Skynet's busy."

"Really, Cameron? Too busy to notice two people in a Resistance jeep traveling quickly? It's a machine! Surely it has to have deployed a scout or something to fly over and make sure there's no activity. But it hasn't. You've been holding that gun all day, waiting, but nothing's happened. Shouldn't the Lieutenant General contact us or something to make sure we're okay? But there's nothing. It just doesn't make sense."

Cameron nodded slowly as she turned the safety on and placed the gun on her lap with a small sigh. Then she pulled a hair tie and put her hair back in a ponytail as she spoke, matter of factly.

"I have no doubt that Skynet has been watching us."

Justin's heart momentarily stopped as he shot a glance at her.

"What!?"

"There has been air patrol, I just didn't tell you. You were nervous enough having to drive the jeep."

Justin's mouth dropped open as he looked between the road and back at her.

"Is… is it still following us?"

"No, it left a couple of hours ago."

Justin shook his head with disbelief as his heart began to rapidly pump adrenaline back into him. Cameron shifted in her seat so that she was facing him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, Skynet hasn't taken us out yet because it wants to watch us. Its plotting every course we could possibly take, trying to figure out why we're out here. But one thing I know for sure is that it knows we are Resistance. It knows we have a mission and it's waiting for us to give it some clue as to where we might be going. And if it thinks we're important enough, it will attack, but until then we are clear."

"What do we do?"

Cameron turned away from him and back to the road, grabbing her gun.

"We wait."

"Are you not scared? Because I feel like you have some sort of death wish or something."

Cameron chuckled as she stuck her head out the window to look up at the dark sky.

"Don't we all?"

Justin turned the headlights on and thought about it for a moment. Maybe he did have a death wish. He could have sat there and ignored it when Cameron walked up to that weak boy. He could have focused on anything but their conversation. He could have stayed in the base, safe and alone, never having to fight for his life ever again. He could have just let other people do it for him… but he couldn't. Justin drew in a shaky breath, keeping his eyes on the road as he spoke to her.

"I do."

"What?"

"A death wish… I have one."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Cameron slid back into her seat and turned back to him.

"Is that why you volunteered?"

Justin nodded slowly.

"Part of it was. I… I couldn't sit there and ignore the terror on his mother's face when you asked that boy if he was fast or brave. He was young and scared and… he has a family. I couldn't let him go out there and die while I stayed in the safety of the base, doing nothing. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had done that. So I volunteered."

"How did you get to the base, Justin?"

He licked his lips nervously trying to fight the tears blurring in his eyes.

"When the bombs went off, I thought it was over. I was buried under rubble. I… I couldn't see. I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. I was just… waiting… for it to fall and crush me. I knew it was going to happen but I didn't know when. And I could hear all these people around me, screaming for help… but I couldn't make a sound. I was afraid that if I tried to shout that the rubble would move and kill me. It was so heavy. Sometimes I still feel like I can't breathe. I felt like I was down there for years before I heard my parents calling me. I could hear them so clearly but I felt so far away. The rubble shifted and I screamed. I knew I was going to die."

Justin stared ahead mindlessly, barely registering what was ahead of him as he spoke.

"Then all of a sudden, I saw a blinding light and I felt something grasp my arms so tight, I thought they were going to get ripped out. The rubble kept shifting all around me and I closed my eyes in fear, feeling like it was squeezing the life out of me. But when it opened my eyes, it was just my family, holding me tight. My mother was sobbing with relief holding me tighter than I'd ever felt before. Everyone was there… everyone; my parents, my older brother and his wife, my twin sister, and my two little cousins. And we ran. We kept running until we couldn't. We stuck together as long as we could but… one by one… we were all picked off. I had everyone and then I lost them. I lost them all."

Tears rolled down his cheeks as images flashed in his mind. His heart was pounding against his bones as the painful memories rose to the surface.

"First it was a gang that tried to rob us but we didn't have anything and they got mad. So… they killed my dad. A couple days later my cousins got so sick. Terminators killed my older brother and my little cousins died a week later, two days apart. Then my aunt, she… she died in an explosion and my mother was badly injured. My sister and I had to leave my mom. I… I had to leave my mom. I had to… drag my sister away and we ran. And when I thought I couldn't possibly lose anymore, my sister was killed in a battle between Resistance soldiers and rebel civilians. I held her. I held my twin sister as… as the one person I… I had left… I lost everything. And you know what the worst part is?"

Justin turned to Cameron as more tears rolled down his cheeks. She shook her head slowly, not sure what to say.

"I came to die. I… I volunteered… because I knew. I knew I would die. And… I want to. I've tried but I just can't. I can't do what you do. I can't go and fight for others, watching them lose everyone they love without it reminding me of all I've lost. I thought about doing it myself several times but… I would rather die doing something worthwhile than… than doing it myself. That's what my family would want."

Justin's lip quivered as he focused on the road once more, shifting slightly in his seat as he thought over what he had said. His heart felt heavy in his chest and he drew in a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, not wanting to say another word. He had never thought he would say those words out loud; much less tell them to a stranger. He grit his teeth and tried to shove his emotions back down and focus on driving as Cameron looked at him.

"I'm sorry. But… thank you for explaining."

"Yeah…"

"I think we should stop for the night. It's… it's not good to be driving when you're tired."

Justin glanced over at her with and nodded slowly as she gave him a small smile.

"Okay."

He hadn't realized that they had driven into an abandoned city with ruined buildings all around them. He was tempted to keep going, afraid that the rubble would crush him again but Cameron placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him as he pulled off and stopped. He flicked off the headlights and Cameron grabbed her flashlight and her gun, hopping out of the jeep.

"I'll take first watch. You've had a long day."

She opened the back of the jeep and swung her backpack on her shoulder, stepping out of the way for Justin to do the same. He grabbed his gun and looked into her brown eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Cameron nodded with a smile.

"I'm sure."

She turned on her heel and Justin followed behind her, placing his gun on his shoulder so he could cover her in the event of an attack. Justin didn't realize how tired he was until they had stopped for the night. He placed his backpack on the floor and turned the safety on his gun, sighing as he sat on the ground. Cameron stood against one of the supporting pillars, pulling a pair of night vision goggles onto her head so she could see in the darkness. Justin thought of staying up but the moment he had laid his head down on his backpack and closed his eyes, he faded into a deep sleep.


	11. Children

**Chapter 10: Children**

 **California**

 **L.A. Human Resistance Base**

—

Kate Brewster was about to crack. She had been internally screaming at herself for the past two hours as she tried to calmly plan the night guard shifts and keep the situation quiet. The last thing she needed was for the civilians to get worked up and try to rebel against their crumbling system. She couldn't help but think about how her life had been before John Connor had spun his way back into her life and made it hell. Tears blurred in her eyes as she briskly walked to her private headquarters, wishing it could just be over. She grit her teeth, forcing herself to hold it together for a few more minutes. She couldn't break in front of her soldiers. She already felt inadequate and didn't need to add her stupid emotions and wishful thinking to the list of things to worry about.

"Lieutenant General."

Kate stared straight ahead, too caught up in her own head to hear anything around her. She just wanted to know why. Why was she chosen to be leader of this base? John knew who she used to be so why the hell would he pick her? It didn't make sense. Her fists curled at her sides as she began to walk faster, feeling her cheeks flush red with anger.

"Lieutenant General!"

Her face twisted in confusion as she stopped and turned to see a short haired blonde nurse jogging to catch up with her leader. She let out a quick breath as she stopped at Kate's side and motioned behind her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Derek and Jesse asked to see you."

Kate's posture stiffened on instinct.

"Is everything alright?"

The nurse recognized and nodded quickly, giving the leader a smile.

"Yeah, everything is great! The delivery was perfect."

Kate's eyes widened with surprise as she began to follow the nurse to the med bay.

"The baby's here?"

The nurse grinned.

"Yeah, she's perfect."

"A girl?"

She nodded excitedly as she led Kate through the fluorescent lit hallways. Kate couldn't help but smile at the thought of two tough soldiers raising a little girl. There was no doubt that they were going to both soften and toughen up at the same time. Kate had been obsessed with children, dying to have her own before the war but ever since she had been thrown into leadership, she had completely forgotten about it. Jesse looked like she was about to pass out from exhaustion but she was watching her husband and their little girl with the sweetest smile Kate had ever seen on her. As Derek's eyes shifted to his wife, he caught sight of Kate out of the corner of his eye and turned to her.

"So… what'd you name her?"

Derek slowly walked toward Kate motioning for her to take the baby. Kate hesitated but held out her arms anyway as he placed the little bundle there. The little girl shifted in discomfort and her face scrunched up for a few seconds before she relaxed in Kate's arms. As Kate looked down at the dark haired little girl, her heart began to beat a little faster.

"Cady Joy."

"That's adorable."

Jesse chuckled as she slowly pushed herself up.

"He wanted the first name."

"I wanted to spell it like you normally would but she made it weird."

Jesse stuck her tongue out at Derek before she answered.

"C-A-D-Y. Same name but different."

"And who came up with Joy?"

"We both did. It just… fit."

Kate smiled as she looked down at the baby, slowly swaying from side to side as she held the little girl in her arms. She had forgotten how much she loved holding babies. But her happiness quickly faded at the thought of this new innocent little girl having to live in the war. She was one more person Kate had to worry about and protect and she didn't know if she could do it. She let out a small gasp, looking up at the two people she admired most of all.

"She's beautiful. She looks like you, Jesse."

Derek nodded as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Oh but she has the Reese eyes."

"Of course."

Kate took a step toward Derek and he moved forward to take his baby girl back. Kate's heart sunk to her toes as the weight was lifted from her. She wanted it back. She wanted to hold that little girl and protect her forever. She couldn't imagine how Derek and Jesse felt. Kate's thoughts were interrupted by Jesse's small voice.

"We heard about what happened."

Kate let out a small sigh as she shoved her hands in her front pockets.

"We set up a rotation. Four guards at once. Two on the right and two on the left. The front and back are covered but the explosion left the sides weak."

Derek nodded slowly.

"Who all knows about it?"

"Hopefully just Resistance personnel. We need to keep the situation contained as long as we possibly can. The last thing we need is a riot."

Jesse licked her lips as her eyes fell to the floor.

"Have you been able to contact Fair Haven yet?"

"I haven't been able to contact anyone. Our internal systems are fine but we either can't send a message out or they aren't listening to us. Which means that if something happens to us, no one is going to know until we're all dead."

A grave silence fell over the room as the blonde nurse nervously shuffled out. Kate shook her head slowly as she said what they were all thinking.

"It would be a miracle if Skynet didn't hear that explosion. A damn miracle."

Jesse nodded as she looked to her leader.

"I'd like to know where the hell the Connors are."

Kate chuckled harshly.

"Yeah, me too."

Derek turned away from Kate and handed Cady off to Jesse before turning back to his leader.

"Turn in for the night, Kate. I'll stay up and monitor."

"I can't ask you to do that."

Derek clapped a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tight before releasing it.

"And I wasn't suggesting. I'm going to be up with Cady anyway. You both need rest. I'm going to go check things at control then come back here for her, okay?"

Jesse nodded.

"It's okay, Kate. Go on."

Kate hesitated but Derek shifted his hand to her back, gently pushing her out of the medical bay and into the hallway.

"Thanks."

Derek nodded with a smile.

"Just doing my job, Lieutenant General."

Kate returned the smile before she turned away from Derek and walked back to her quarters. She drew in a deep breath and thought of the baby all the way to her door. She unlocked it and took her jacket off as she entered and tossed it on top of the small desk. She ran her hands through her red hair and let out a sigh before she bent down and slipped her combat boots off. Kate said a silent prayer that she would find the Connors somehow and then turned to her cot. Her eyes widened and she gasped at the sight of a frightened girl in her cot. She had dark skin, wide light brown eyes, and wild black curls.

Kate licked her lips nervously before she flashed a smile at the girl.

"Hi."

The little girl watched Kate intensely as she moved forward, prompting the leader to hold her hands up to show her it was okay.

"I'm Kate. What's your name?"

Tears blurred in the girl's eyes as she nervously spoke.

"Star."

"Star?"

The girl nodded quickly and Kate smiled and took another step forward.

"How'd you get in here?"

"The door was open."

Kate's smile fell as she turned away from the girl and walked to the desk, opening the drawers to check its contents. Her door was never supposed to be open. She searched through everything she had and found nothing missing. She shook her head with confusion and walked to the door, checking the lock and heard the girl's little voice behind her.

"I opened it."

Kate turned back to her with her face furrowed in confusion.

"How?"

Star looked down at the ground, ashamed, and Kate waited for her to respond. She held out her small hand.

"You want me to look at it?"

She nodded briskly and Kate knelt by the cot, taking the girl's hand in her's. The girl shifted so that she was holding Kate's hand and squeezed it. The lieutenant general let out a cry of surprise and pain, trying to escape the girl's grip but she felt on for a few more seconds before releasing the leader. Kate shook out her hand, trying to get the blood to flow back into her fingers as she looked at Star with surprise.

"Have you always been that strong?"

Star nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I keep getting stronger. I… I'm scared."

She began sobbing and leaned forward, almost falling off the cot. Kate lunged forward and grabbed the girl as gently as possible.

"Okay, it's okay. It's alright. You don't have to talk about it now. Are you… are you tired?"

Star nodded into Kate's shoulder.

"Okay, just lay down and… and we can talk about it tomorrow. But for now just… just go to sleep."

"I don't want to be alone!"

"You won't be, Star. Okay? You won't be! I'll stay here with you… all night."

Star lifted her head and stared into Kate's eyes.

"All night?"

"Yes, all night. And I'll wake you up in the morning and take you with me."

"Really?"

"Yes, Star. I promise."

Star nodded slowly and looked away from Kate, grabbing the blanket on the cot and moving it toward the leader. Kate took the blanket from the little girl and convinced her to lay down as she tucked her in. As Kate moved away, Star gripped her wrist.

"Stay."

Kate nodded slowly and sat down next to the cot, slipping her hand into the little girl's. Star slowly began to relax as she held tight onto Kate's fingers and closed her eyes. Kate didn't know how long it took for her to fall asleep but once her grip had relaxed, she slowly pulled her hand out and laid down in front of the cot. Kate pulled her pistol from her back pocket and set it down on the ground, laying her head down in front of it. She struggled to get comfortable on the concrete floor for a few seconds before she gave up and let sleep take over her.


	12. Eyes Everywhere

**Chapter 11: Eyes Everywhere**

 _Access Code: GRANTED_

 _Origin: Fair Haven_

 _02:34 hours_

 _Incoming Transmissions from JOHN HENRY_

—

 _Infiltrator-953: PARKER_

 _Location: Denver, Colorado_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Protect John Connor. Monitor Lauren Cooper, Joseph Dietze, Peter Eisenberg. Respond appropriately to situations. If betrayal is implied, remove threat._

—

 _Terminator-1023: OMAR, Infiltrator-951: STAR_

 _Location: Los Angeles, California_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Activate Protocol 112: Extraction. Skynet Hunter-Killer approaching. Prepare for attack. Protect Katherine Brewster, Derek Reese, Jesse Flores, Cady Reese._

—

 _Terminator-911: IRIS_

 _Location: Phillips, Montana_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Continue survivor rescue efforts. Interrogate subjects before entry. Monitor and assist Colonels Reed Powers, Blaire Powers._

—

 _Terminator-1030: JAVIER_

 _Location: Campbellsville, Kentucky_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Activate Protocol 001: Termination_

 _Target: Jase Stein_

—

 _Terminator-1003: BARRY_

 _Location: Newberry, South Carolina_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Activate Protocol 323: Rescue_

 _Target: Lieutenant Colonel Darrel Frankfort_

—

 _Terminator-959: ALEX, Terminator-1098: DOT_

 _Location: Fayette, Iowa_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Continue previous objective_

—

 _Terminator-805: HAROLD_

 _Location: Lykens, Pennsylvania_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Activate Protocol 331: Reveal mechanic identity_

—

 _Terminator-1090: HIROTO_

 _Location: Cochrane, Canada_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Monitor Lieutenant General Chase Redmond_

—

 _Terminator-957: LUCAS_

 _Location: Ross River, Canada_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Abandon rescue efforts. Activate Protocol 105: Evacuate_

—

 _Terminator-914: DWAYNE_

 _Location: Repulse Bay, Canada_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Assemble Repulse Bay base. Find leader. Wait for further instruction._

—

 _Terminator-867: JAMES_

 _Location: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Activate Protocol 169: Repair_

—

 _Terminator-1047: CHLOE_

 _Location: Ciudad Victoria, Mexico_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Monitor T-867. Prepare for termination._

—

 _Terminator-989: GEMMA_

 _Location: Oaxaca, Mexico_

 _Respond to communication_

 _Objective: Activate Protocol 148: Infiltrate. Activate Protocol 002: Destroy_

 _Target: Skynet Outpost: Diablo_

—

 _END TRANSMISSION_


	13. Update

Hey everyone!

I just got a message about a guest reader who was frustrated because it's been so long since I (and other authors) haven't updated our stories and I would like to apologize.

I will not give you excuses nor any information regarding my personal life other than the fact that I have been very busy lately.

But I have good news for you! I am going to look back at the plots and familiarize myself with it so that I can update.

I promise that I will update T4: Salvation this weekend and I hope that everyone will enjoy it.


	14. Our Side

**Chapter 12: Our Side**

The little girl hadn't been expecting to sleep that night as her mind raced a thousand miles an hour. JOHN HENRY had been informed of the Lieutenant General's mistake and placed all machines close to Los Angeles on high alert. Even if she wanted to fall asleep, it would activate a small shock to keep her awake. She had to be ready to move the moment she received a transmission and when it came, she moved. She took off the blanket that Kate had wrapped around her and swung her legs over the side, hopping down to the floor. She drew in a shaky breath as she looked down at her sleeping leader, wishing that she could grant the young woman some peace. But there was no peace in war. And as if it had read her thoughts, a panicked voice crackled through Kate's walkie-talkie.

"Lieutenant General, we have a code red! I repeat, code red! Come in!"

Star knelt down next to Katherine Brewster and clapped a hand on her shoulder, shaking her quickly. The leader's blue eyes opened with a snap. She instantly sat up, looking at Star with an alarmed expression on her face. Her muscles were tense and Star could sense her accelerated heart rate, preparing to pump adrenaline through her veins. Kate's face furrowed in confusion as she looked into the girl's light brown eyes but the screaming voice erupting from her walkie-talkie woke her up. The Lieutenant General placed a hand on Star's shoulder as she shakily rose to her feet and shuffled to her desk to grab her things. She could feel the ground rumbling every so slightly beneath her feet and knew that trouble had come. She gripped the walkie-talkie with white knuckles as she responded roughly.

"What the hell is going on!?"

Private McHenry's frightened voice crackled through the radio.

" _They found us."_

Star shoved her hands in her oversized coat pockets as she watched the young woman shove her combat boots onto her feet.

"Who found us!?"

" _Skynet."_

Kate froze in place, her eyes widening as she stared at her untied laces. Star noticed the leader's hands trembling and walked over to her. Kate's breaths fell heavy and slow and Star knew that it had to be hard to process. Her worst nightmare had just come true. Star knelt down next to Kate and took the laces from her nimble fingers and began to tie them tight. Light brown locked blue as the two girls immediately connected. Star drew in a slow breath and spoke softly but to the point.

"It's a Hunter-Killer. They're here to kill and gather people."

Silence fell upon them, both girls ignoring the private's one-sided conversation. Star's heart sank to her toes as Kate's eyes blurred with frightened tears. The young woman shook her head slowly.

"It's all my fault."

Star broke her stare and took the walkie-talkie from the leader and spoke as much like the Lieutenant General as she could.

"Don't do anything! I repeat, do not do anything until I step into that room!"

" _Yes, ma'am."_

Kate's face furrowed in confusion as she watched the girl hand her the walkie-talkie and her jacket from the desk.

"Star; Infiltrator-951. I was assigned by JOHN HENRY to secretly monitor you."

"What?"

Star ignored Kate's response and walked to the door, opening it quickly.

"We need to move. You and the Reeses are top priority."

Kate scrambled to her feet and met Star at the door.

"You're a machine."

"We need to move."

Kate nodded and licked her lips quickly as she turned into the hallway. Soldiers were scrambling to gather weapons and shouting orders at one another. The silent alarm had been set off. Kate shoved the guilt that she felt as far back as she could as she rushed to the communications room. She wasn't surprised to find the door open and Derek Reese's form towering over Private McHenry and his computer. The moment Kate stepped into the room, his green eyes locked onto her's. A lump formed in her throat as the leader spoke.

"We have to get out."

"It's 10 miles away and closing in fast."

Kate reaffirmed.

"We have to get out."

The young woman felt Star's hand clasp her fingers and she looked down at the girl, who nodded in support. Kate drew in a quick breath and forced herself to make eye contact with every person in the communications room.

"Look, I know this isn't the smartest or best idea but it's the only chance we've got. We need to get as many people as we can out of the base. We're all going to die one way or another but we're not going down without a fight. If there's a chance that some of us can survive, we have to take it; no matter how tactically dangerous it is."

She paused for a moment waiting for someone to lash out at her but she was met with firm determination and expectancy in their eyes.

"Load up as many civilians as we can in the vehicles. We don't have time to stock supplies. Just have soldiers get their guns and go. Three soldiers to each convey. McHenry, I want you to send a communication to JOHN HENRY now. I'm sure it already knows we're in trouble but I want to talk to it before Skynet severs all communications. Freer, Mason, and Wyatt, I need you out there keeping those soldiers in line. Consider it a promotion. Reese, you and your family will be on the first convoy out. Every one of us needs to keep our heads right. The last thing we need to do is panic. We just have to move. Understand?"

They each nodded in agreement and immediately went to their stations. Star released Kate's hand and stepped aside to let Freer, Mason, and Wyatt through. Kate took the opportunity to walk up to Derek, speaking softly as she shoved the walkie-talkie in the back of her pants.

"Do you know of any undercover machines in the base?"

Derek's' eyes widened as he searched his leader's for any sign of a lie.

"No."

Kate's eyebrows furrowed in anger as she turned on her heel to face Star.

"How many are there?"

Star didn't respond, feeling nervous as she flicked her eyes between the two soldiers but Kate persisted.

"How many are there?"

"Three. Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Phillips, Omar Laurence, and me."

Kate turned away from the girl and ran a hand through red hair to take out her frustration.

"McHenry!"

"Yes?"

"You're dismissed. Get out there."

Private McHenry nodded as he shot to his feet and slung his gun over his shoulder, sprinting out of the room. Kate turned her back to Star and placed a hand on Derek's shoulder, breaking his stare on the little girl.

"Go."

Derek's green eyes flicked down to Kate's.

"When are you coming?"

"Soon."

Derek nodded and Kate walked past him to Private McHenry's computer. She sat down in the chair and watched the oldest Reese walk out of the room before she turned to the screen. She quickly scanned over the words that were there and grabbed the microphone, staring at the computer intensely.

"You listen to me, JOHN HENRY or whoever's really behind that screen. I know you're not John Connor. John wouldn't do something like this. I don't know who or what you are but I will find you. And when I do, I expect you to answer every damn question I have or so help me, I will lay waste to everything you've built."

Kate sent the transmission and shot to her feet, hearing the chair collide with the desk behind it. She turned to Star only to find a tall, strong African American man standing beside the girl. The leader's hands curled into fists as she looked over the two machines.

"You Omar?"

The man nodded.

"Get these people out of here."

"Negative. You are highest priority."

Kate pointed her finger at the machine.

"No. The people inside this base; the soldiers, the civilians. They are the highest priority. If you think for one second that I am going to abandon them now, you can go to hell. You wanna keep me alive? You get as many of these people out as you can. But every second I'm in here talking to you is time that I can be using to save someone's life, so tell me. Are you on my side or do I have to put bullets in your metal brains?"

Star instinctively winced and looked up at Omar for an answer, not wanting to test JOHN HENRY. Kate's eyes flicked between the two machines and the panic outside the doors. She grabbed a pistol from the desk and checked to make sure it was loaded before she gripped it tight in her right hand. Omar took a step toward the leader and spoke emotionlessly.

"JOHN HENRY is not pleased with your actions."

Kate cocked the pistol and aimed it at the machine's head, just where the chip was located.

"Are you on my side or not?"

"We are on your side; have been since the beginning."

Kate kept her finger over the trigger for a few seconds before she lowered her arm and flicked the safety on. She then shoved the pistol in the back of her pants and nodded.

"Good. Let's get out of here."


	15. Update 2

Alright, I should have worked on this story earlier in the week but I didn't so you guys are going to have to wait until Tuesday to get a new chapter.

I found an annoying plot hole so I've got to figure out how to fix that but don't worry; Tuesday you guys will have another chapter.

But until then, have a great weekend!


	16. Determine

**Chapter 13: Determine**

The clock was ticking and every step that he took felt limited. John was used to having a target on his back merely because of his name but that didn't mean he wasn't anxious about it. He knew that it was only a matter of time before things fell apart and that concerned him. It had been about nine hours since his fellow colleagues learned that Parker was undercover machine and he had been on edge all day long. He knew from experience that silence could be deadly but he continued walking on, knowing they had to be glaring at him from behind the entire time.

He didn't understand how they hadn't turned on him yet. If he had figured out there was an undercover machine he didn't know about, he would have flipped out and severed all connections. He wanted to trust his soldiers, he truly did, but he couldn't help but feel that they had to be planning something behind his back. And as he contemplated his fate, he couldn't help thinking about what Carol Pointe had said to him the first time they had met. Their introductions had been unsettling merely because she had been pointing a gun at a terrified 10 year old boy but her words had carried with him throughout the years.

 _Skynet doesn't like it when things change. I, however, like the idea of having another player in the game. It makes things... interesting._

There was no doubt that the woman had plans; he had remembered seeing the flicker of excitement behind her cold blue eyes. She had told him how and where to destroy the T-1000. It was the exact opposite of anything he expected but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that was the point of it. For all he knew at the time, he thought she had to have been acting against Skynet but he wasn't so sure about that now. She had the opportunity to shoot him right there and end everything once for all but she didn't. Just a squeeze of the trigger and he would have been dead; the war would have been over.

But she didn't and nine years later it still frustrated him. If she had done it, his mother wouldn't have been able to keep fighting. He admired his mother's acting abilities but he knew that he was her only tether to sanity at the time. Over time she had gotten more stable but they needed each other. He wasn't even sure if he could continue to survive and fight if he lost her. His green eyes fell to his feet in thought for a moment as the scar on his chest just inches away from his heart began to burn. It was a constant mental ache; a harsh reminder of the fact that they were separated and he hadn't heard from her since the day he was stabbed.

Instinctively, his hand shot up to the chain around his neck, fingering his father's dog tags. John had been dying on the side of the road when Derek had abandoned him but he had given him the tags. He thought that it would help liberate him by having the only physical thing left from his father but it just seemed to weigh him down even more. Even though he was an adult, he still longed to meet his father but he wouldn't. He knew he wouldn't be able to bring himself to open that portal and thrust his father back into the war he had already died fighting. He felt he owed it to Kyle Reese for everything he had already done. He doubted the man was peaceful but hopefully he would be someday.

He heard Catherine Weaver's Scottish accent ring in his ears but didn't register her words. He was too lost in his own thoughts to understand. Catherine had taken him away from his mother and yet, he didn't fight her. He didn't resist. He never tried to escape. She hid him and gave him shelter while he healed then began to train him to lead the Resistance. He had always thought his mother was in charge but he was learning new things everyday along with his soldiers.

Carol had told him when he was 10 that she wasn't going to kill him because she wanted to fight him. She wanted to see what he would do simply because he had never existed before. Carol had let him live this long but he knew that time was running out. The target on his head had only grown larger with the prize doubling every second.

"John!"

The young leader snapped his head up to see Parker walking next to him, looking over worriedly.

"Catherine's trying to talk to you."

John covered up his exasperated sigh by licking his lips.

"I know."

Parker's green eyes softened as she brushed some of her light brown hair out of her face but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. Now he was angry with himself. How had he let himself get so lost in his thoughts again? They were thoughts that he had had a million times yet they still pushed down on him. The only looks he had been getting from Parker Young so far were looks of pity and the annoyance dug under his skin like a tick. For once, he just wanted to appear to be in control of something. He quickened his pace to give himself some distance from the half-machine and grunted.

"Yes, Catherine?"

" _Your soldiers are anxious."_

"I don't blame them. We might as well be raising a flag that says, 'Catch me if you can, metalheads.'."

" _I do not appreciate your sarcasm."_

John stifled an agitated laugh despite the fact that it was all he wanted to do at the moment. Laugh. It was something he hadn't done in a long time. He was so exhausted he hardly cared if he sat down and let it loose. His soldiers would think he had lost his mind but he was convinced he had already lost pieces of it.

" _You need to talk to them."_

He glanced over his shoulder to see the four of them walking in a line with their guns drawn, talking about something while Parker trailed a few feet behind him.

"Roger that."

He lifted his hand to turn the comm off for a while so he could think some more but something stopped him. A voice; a familiar one. One that he had dreamed of hearing again.

" _John."_

The clock stopped and froze John in his place. It couldn't be. He could see his mother's face so vividly in his head, imagining her saying his name. It just couldn't be her. Catherine had to be messing with him. Chills ripped down his spine at the thought of the machine doing such a thing and he shook his head in defiance, speaking harshly through gritted teeth.

"This better not be a damn trick, Catherine. I'm not in the mood."

Silence.

Cold, dead silence.

John's heart sank as betrayal settled in, taking hope's place. In anger, he ripped the comm out of his ear and tossed it on the sand, knowing Parker would see it and pick it up. Tears blurred in his eyes as he started walking again, more determined now. How could she do that to him? She knew how much he missed his mother and yet she continued to rub it in. He suddenly wished he would have tried to escape; maybe then he would be with his mother now instead of wondering where the hell she could have gone or if she was even alive.

He didn't know how she would have reacted when she learned he was gone. Fear swarmed all of his thoughts as he tried to think of every possibility. He knew his mother well enough to know that she was a loose cannon. He could wonder all he wanted and never figure out what she might have done. She could have exploded and killed Derek for leaving him to the FBI. She could have run and tried to find him, leaving the fate of the Human Resistance and the world in someone else's hands. She could have gone straight to Carol thinking Skynet had him and begged her to kill her. Or she could have killed herself.

Water wet his cheeks, rolling down his chin at the mere thought of losing her. He would give anything to have her scream at him in anger right now or hit him. He didn't care. He just wanted to really hear or see her. But until she was standing there in front of him answering a question only she would know, he wasn't going to believe a word that came out Catherine's metal mouth. Screw JOHN HENRY and Parker. He had to find some way to take charge again and it started by doing the one thing she wouldn't expect him to do.

John stopped in his tracks for the second time that day and pulled his pistol from the back of his pants, cocking it quickly. He made sure his grip was tight and drew in a deep breath to prepare. Determined, he turned and pulled the trigger, blinking the last tears out of his eyes. The gun shot somehow rang in the open air and his hands felt numb from the draw back. His heart elevated as he pushed past the smell of gunpowder watching the half-human, half-machine trailing behind him fall to the ground.


	17. Her Name

**Chapter 14: Her Name**

He could barely remember how it had happened. The unbearable throbbing of his head was threatening to close in on him, making him wonder if he was going to die because of it. It hurt too much to even think about lifting his head off the cold metal table. He remembered waking up alone. Cameron was supposed to be keeping watch but she had disappeared. She had abandoned him. He remembered feeling like he was going to faint on the spot and couldn't help but wonder if it was some kind of test. He had convinced himself that it had to be a test. Then things got fuzzy.

He felt the plasma blast burn just above his left shoulder before he ever saw the Terminator. He remembered falling and landing on a jagged piece of concrete. He wasn't sure if his head had snapped back or if the Terminator had hit him over the head with it's gun but now it throbbed. Somehow he had fallen unconscious again and then he woke up in the cell. The same cell he was in now. But he couldn't remember when they had branded him. He thought he would have tried to resist but as the machine interrogated him, he knew he couldn't do anything.

But the pain… he could never forget the pain. They asked him questions he didn't have the answers too. He hadn't even tried to stay composed. He knew it was hopeless. No one except Cameron and the Lieutenant General knew he had left and it was too risky to save him without getting more people caught. He was utterly alone and it hurt more than any kind of pain they inflicted on him. He had trusted them and they had abandoned him in return. Every fibre of his being hurt now. His racing heart ached with stress at the mere thought of the numbers on his wrist. They had branded him like an animal. He was one of their prisoners now.

"Justin."

The boy's body shook with silent sobs as tears rolled down his cheeks. It wasn't real. The voice was a lie. It was just a trick his mind was playing on him to try and convince himself that there was a shred of hope left. His world was already hell and he didn't see how it could get any worse. The constant throbbing in his head synced with the seconds of his life that were painfully ticking away. He had tried lifting his head but it hurt too much. He couldn't do it.

"Justin, please."

There it was again. Nothing more than a ghost of his past. He forced the voice out of his head and filled his mind with questions. Where had Cameron gone? Why had she let the machines take him? How was he supposed to complete his mission now? Lieutenant General Brewster had been counting on him and he had slept on the job, believing that his companion would keep him safe. But she abandoned him. Why was he even still alive?

"Justin!"

He couldn't lift his head. She wanted him to look at her but he couldn't. It hurt too much. Tears ran down his stinging cheeks as his breaths fell heavy and labored. Every breath felt like a stab to his lungs and the air was sharp and hot. The world around him had simply stopped turning. He just couldn't do it anymore. He wanted to die. A strangled sob ripped past his lips, instantly turning into a howl of pain. He weakly stamped his right foot on the concrete floor as he pressed his throbbing head on the metal table. There had to be something to take away the pain.

"Dude seriously! I'm not gonna say your name again."

Justin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She was no longer begging him. She sounded annoyed yet… excited.

"Come on! I've been waiting an hour for you to get your lazy butt out of bed. If you don't hurry we're both going to be late to _my_ wedding! And if you think that I'm going without you, you're dead wrong. So get your single, hungover self out of bed and in the bathroom. I'll grab your suit."

Wedding? She wasn't old enough to get married. They were twins and he knew he wasn't an adult yet. His voice scratched against his throat, barely coming out above a whisper.

"What?"

"You heard me, Justin Adebayo Herr, get up! I'm gonna be a Mrs. soon!"

Tears fell as he squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth as he struggled to lift his head. He cried out in pain.

"Come on!"

It was agonizing but he could do it. He had to see what was going on. It didn't make any sense. The world was at war, there was no way they could do a wedding. He was shackled up in a work camp not lying in some comfy bed. He had suffered hours of interrogation and torture and they were coming back for more. He knew it wasn't real. But he had to see his sister again. He willed himself to open his eyes and drew in a painful gasp at the sight.

The picture was blurry but it was his sister. The morning sun was peeking through the light blue curtains, making her perfectly white wedding dress look like it was glowing. It was angelic. His sister Jaenell Adah, the one he had seen die, was standing in front of him brushing off a nice black suit. He could see her lips moving but didn't catch a word she said. His head was pounded too hard to hear anything else. She set the suit down on a chair and walked over to his side, kneeling by him. Her plump lips curved into a smile he had always loved seeing and she sighed.

"You know, Justin, you're lucky that we decided to have the wedding in the backyard otherwise we would have been waiting a thousand years for you to show up."

"I… I…"

Her golden amber eyes bore into his, illuminating in the bright sunlight. Tears blurred in his eyes once more as he flicked over every detail. He frantically took in her thick eyebrows, the golden eyeshadow and black eyeliner, the small scar on her forehead from that time he had accidentally tripped her, the white earrings hanging from her ears, and her coiled black curls wild and free as an afro. He thought she would have pulled her hair back but she wasn't and he still loved it.

"Come on, man. Have a little faith! I know that you've been struggling right now with the breakup and everything but it's okay. Everything's going to be okay."

"Jaenell…"

"I mean, look at me! Remember all those nights I sobbed on your shoulder because I was alone? And now…"

She flashed her engagement ring in his face, letting the sunlight catch the diamond.

"This is it. The day I've been dreaming of for my entire life and I am not going if my brother isn't there. Do you get that? I'm not going without you. I would never go without you."

Justin shook his head slowly, trying his best not to sob as he looked at his sister.

"You left…"

"No, Justin. I didn't. Here, I'll make you a promise."

She extended her hand once more and stuck out her pinkie finger and wrapped it around Justin's.

"I solemnly swear that as long as one person in the world knows my name that I will never leave my twin brother, no matter what."

Jaenell smiled as she pulled away, jumping to her feet. The train of her dress trailed behind her as she moved to pick up his suit.

"I know that things haven't been easy lately but it's okay. We're all gonna be okay, Justin. It's just a part of life. Things will get better."

She tossed the suit on the bed next to him and winked as she turned on her heel. She walked toward the door and panic filled Justin at the thought of being alone again. He tried to shout her name but no sound came out. He was locked in time, only allowed to observe. She closed the door behind her and Justin turned to the window, expecting the room to grow dark again. The desperation and pain trickled back into his mind and overwhelmed him. And just like he knew it would, the scene faded in front of his eyes and he was left staring at the empty chair in front of him.

His chest tightened in pain and he tried to keep himself from gasping but couldn't. He squeezed his eyes shut, screaming at his sister to come back. He just wanted to see her smile again. He wanted to hear her voice one more time. He just wanted to hug her and believe she wasn't really gone but all he could see was the bad. He tried to grasp onto the memory of her wedding dress but was unable to find it in his thoughts. Tears pricked his tired eyes once more as the terror settled in his bones.

He could hear her scream tear through the air as he tried to drag her away from their dying mother. He wanted nothing more than to stay with her but she insisted they leave her behind. He remembered how she kicked and screamed, scratching his arms with her fingernails but he never let go. He had been there to hold Jaenell as she dropped to the ground the next morning, sobbing. They had been too afraid to fall asleep that night.

He remembered the many days that followed, traveling alone, scavenging for anything useful only to find nothing. And the one time they had found food, she had told him she wasn't hungry and he hadn't given a second thought to it as he had eaten. Guilt shot through his veins at the thought that she might not have died if he had shared what they had found. The fleeting hope of finding a group only to experience the agony of seeing the wild eyes of the desperate survivors who attacked them, stealing what little food they had, and killed anyone who got in the way.

He had tried to keep Jaenell back but the moment that soldier pointed his gun at a toddler, he knew from the depths of his soul that it was over. He barely had time to scream before the bullets hit his sister. Justin leaned forward in despair, letting his head fall onto the metal table again as he tried to get the image out of his mind but he couldn't. His head throbbed as he cried, remembering how he clung to his sister's dead body, unable to say goodbye. He had wanted to die then. He wanted to stay there forever and die with the his last family member but the Resistance had taken him.

Tears pooled on the table, wetting his forehead as he sobbed. In that moment, the only physical pain he felt was heartbreak and separation. He couldn't feel his heart beating out of his chest or his bones jabbing into his lungs. He didn't register the fact that they were so heavy and labored that he could barely breathe. He tried to cry but they had all gone away. He was hot and sweaty and tired. His gut plunged to his toes as he heard the metal door open with a creak. He tried not to think of the machine that was about to loom over him, asking the same questions he didn't have the answers to. He felt the metal handcuffs tighten against his wrists as he tried in vain to twist them.

" _I solemnly swear that as long as one person in the world knows my name that I will never leave my twin brother, no matter what."_

Justin's body trembled as he heard the machine speak but he didn't listen. She wasn't gone… not yet. There was still one person who knew her name which meant that she was here with him. He grit his teeth as he slowly lifted his head, meeting the dead red eyes of the machines he hoped he would never meet. He gave the metal monster the best glare he could as he breathed her name out. His twin sister. The only reason he had lifted his head. He gathered as much saliva as he could and spit it at the ground in front of the machine then looked up and shook his head slowly.

"Connor will stop you."

"And who will save you?"

He could feel the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile but he was unable to form it.

"Jaenell."

Now there were two people who knew her name; Justin and Carol Pointe.


End file.
